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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26086834">Planes of the Heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bornmoonchild/pseuds/bornmoonchild'>bornmoonchild</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Actor Miya Atsumu, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Getting Together, M/M, Not Beta Read, POV Miya Atsumu, Pining Miya Atsumu, Pro Volleyball Player Miya Atsumu, Pro Volleyball Player Sakusa Kiyoomi, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:15:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>44,226</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26086834</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bornmoonchild/pseuds/bornmoonchild</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Atsumu learns what it means to listen to his heart.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>364</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Miya Atsumu is a man of charisma and determination, both of which have helped him succeed in his acting career thus far. He plays hard but works harder because he knows he could always do better, because he wants to be the best. It's no surprise to anyone that he's received numerous nominations and won several of them since he began acting only a few years ago.</p><p>He's made some good friends in the industry over the years and he's good at socialising at parties, never being one to miss out on opportunities, which is why he's at a charity dinner tonight. He arrived without a date and managed to dodge any questions about his personal life from the press with finesse, sending them well-practiced smiles and answers.</p><p>He mingles around flawlessly and tries his best to enjoy the evening. Despite it being a charity dinner, he doesn't feel satisfied by the food and after staying for an appropriate length of time after the plates have been cleared, he takes a taxi to Osamu's restaurant. It's been a while since he visited Osamu anyway.</p><p>Miya Onigiri would normally be packed with customers but it's pretty late and there are only a handful of customers that pay him no attention when he enters the restaurant.</p><p>He catches Osamu's surprised eyes behind the counter and moves to sit at a table in a secluded corner without a word.</p><p>A few moments later, Osamu sets down a tray of his favourite onigiri flavours and sits down across from him.</p><p>"Where'd ya come from?" Osamu asks, eyeing Atsumu's partially wrinkled black suit.</p><p>Atsumu takes a huge bite of his first onigiri and finally relaxes. "A charity dinner. The food was baby portioned."</p><p>Osamu snickers. "Aw, Tsumu. Just admit that ya missed me."</p><p>"Shut up Samu. Ya should try eating baby sized food before talking shit," Atsumu retorts with a smile on his face. Yeah, he missed his brother. Only a little though.</p><p>Osamu returns his grin. "Yeah, yeah. Eat up or yer gonna have to pay for your meal." Atsumu scoffs because he pays for <em>all</em> of his meals because he's an accomplished young man who doesn't need his brother to take care of him, thank you very much.</p><p>Atsumu slides his phone out of his breast pocket and opens up the twitter app, scrolling down his feed mindlessly while he demolishes one onigiri after another. He follows some of his fan accounts because why not -- it doesn't mean he's conceited, they're just funny people, and he laughs at some of the memes they make of him.</p><p>He only looks up from his phone on the table when he hears a throat clearing and he very nearly chokes on his food, because standing in front of his table is none other than Sakusa Kiyoomi.</p><p>Sakusa looks familiar in the way that he still has curly hair, wears a mask and an assumed frown on his face and a tracksuit, but slightly different in the way that he's taller and broader. It's weird to see him here because he has always thought that Sakusa was a hermit outside of playing volleyball.</p><p>Sakusa's eyebrows are furrowed while they both stare at each other and Atsumu remembers the first time they met and his eyes lingered on Sakusa's moles above his right eyebrow for a little too long. Sakusa's the first to break the awkward silence. </p><p>"Miya. You're sitting at my table." His voice is flat, just like how Atsumu remembers it.</p><p>"Wha-? <em>Your</em> table?" He whips his head to demand an explanation from Osamu who's busy preparing a fresh batch of onigiris. He gets up from his table without another word to Sakusa and stalks over to his brother. He doesn't know why he got up, he just knows that he needed to <em>move</em>.</p><p>"Samu!" he hisses and Osamu glances at him before concentrating on his task again.</p><p>"What."</p><p>"Sakusa Kiyoomi has a table here? What does he even <em>mean</em> by that?"</p><p>"Yeah, ya know how he's kinda a germaphobe an' stuff right? He started comin' here pretty regularly and I'd notice him cleaning the table an' chair and I told him that he didn't need to do that if no one sat there." Osamu shrugs and Atsumu looks over at Sakusa who's wiping down his chair with a wet wipe.</p><p>Osamu continues, "An' I dunno, I just kept it clean for him but he hasn't been here recently or he'd just take these to go." These, meaning the onigiris that Osamu specially made for Sakusa.</p><p>"Uh. This is so weird. I didn't know ya could be such a nice guy Samu. Ya like him or somethin'?" Atsumu teases him.</p><p>Osamu only rolls his eyes. "Only a dumbass like ya would say that."</p><p>Atsumu returns to his table and sits down across from Sakusa, which gets no objection and that fact is surprising in itself. Sakusa's eyes are dark and blank and Atsumu has always been a confident man but right now he feels a little unnerved. <em>It's those eyes</em>.</p><p>"So. How've ya been Sakusa?"</p><p>Sakusa tilts his head slightly, like he's assessing Atsumu. "Good. You?"</p><p>"Me too, been busy with work, which is always a good thing. Have ya seen any of it?" Atsumu is always proud of what he does so if there's anyone who hasn't seen the movies he's starred in, he isn't afraid to recommend it to them.</p><p>"Any of what?" Atsumu detects a barely-there teasing lilt in Sakusa's voice that surprises him. He didn't know that Sakusa Kiyoomi had a sense of humour and it makes him want to draw it out from the dark-haired man even more.</p><p>"My movies Omi-kun! I'm an actor, ya know? And one of the best too. Or have ya been living under a rock?"</p><p>As expected, Sakusa narrows his eyes at him. "Don't call me that."</p><p>"Aw, don't be like that Omi-kun. We were almost teammates at one point, so that means we can give each other nicknames." Atsumu grins at Sakusa before biting into his onigiri, before he realises that he didn't want to mention anything about the premature death of his volleyball career, but it just came out.</p><p>Osamu interrupts them when he brings over Sakusa's freshly made onigiris. "Here ya go, Kiyoomi. Enjoy yer meal."</p><p>"Thank you," Sakusa says and he removes his face mask, putting it into a ziplock bag. Atsumu can't help but stare at Sakusa's long and pale fingers, elegant fingers for a volleyball player.</p><p>Atsumu doesn't play volleyball anymore but he still watches matches, particularly those which the MSBY Black Jackals participate in. And especially on the court, he admires Sakusa's form and performance, even would feel a bit of jealousy at how beautifully Sakusa plays. But right now, in front of him, is the first time that Atsumu actually pays attention to Sakusa's face.</p><p>Atsumu knows many beautiful people and gets to interact with them closely on a daily basis so as his eyes take in Sakusa's pale flawless skin, pink full lips and straight nose, he realises that Sakusa is also rather.. pretty.</p><p>"Huh. I didn't know you were so pretty, Omi-kun." Atsumu means it but since he's a bit of an asshole, he's gotta make it sound like he's teasing Sakusa.</p><p>Sakusa snarls, "Shut up, Miya."</p><p>Atsumu's smile grows wider when he notices a faint blush on the top of Sakusa's cheeks. "You say that but I think ya like it when I compliment ya since yer blushing so hard."</p><p>Sakusa grimaces and his cheeks grow redder, which only prompts Atsumu to burst into laughter. "Oh shit! Omi-kun, yer whole face is red!"</p><p>"Shut the fuck up," Sakusa glares at Atsumu, one that would've killed a lesser man but everyone knows that Atsumu isn't the type of person who knows when to run when he's supposed to.</p><p>Atsumu stops laughing anyway because he doesn't want Sakusa to hate him on their first encounter. "Alright, alright. I meant it though, Omi-kun," and he winks at Sakusa.</p><p>If Sakusa's still blushing, Atsumu has the decency to keep quiet about it while Atsumu smiles privately to himself. <em>Cute</em>, he thinks.</p><p>They don't talk much while Sakusa finishes his meal. Atsumu tries to initiate the conversation but Sakusa doesn't give him elaborate answers that he can use to keep the conversation going. Halfway through the meal, Sakusa asks, "Why are you still here?"</p><p>It's a valid question because Atsumu's already finished his meal and he's just using his phone now, keeping Sakusa company. He shrugs and simply says, "I dunno. Don't really feel like leaving you alone here."</p><p>"...Okay."</p><p>They pay for their meals at the counter together, being the last customers before Osamu closes the restaurant for the night.</p><p>"Thanks, Osamu. Goodnight." Sakusa leaves first and Atsumu is amused that Sakusa didn't say anything to him. <em>Petty fucker</em>.</p><p>"What's that look on yer face for?" Osamu asks Atsumu, who quickly smoothes his expression.</p><p>"What're ya talkin' 'bout?"</p><p>Osamu raises his eyebrows and just chuckles while shaking his head. "Right, dumbass. Now get outta here. I gotta clean this place up."</p><p>The warm night welcomes Atsumu, making him remove his suit jacket, and he looks around for Sakusa even though he knows that he's long gone. And still, a small smile unconsciously stays on his face for the rest of the night.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Life goes on and Atsumu gets busier with work, which leaves him little to no time to think about pretty boys with dark eyes. But soon enough, he gets a day off and spends it sleeping until noon and lazing around on his sofa, catching up with the volleyball matches that he missed, which includes a match between the MSBY Black Jackals and Schweiden Adlers.</p><p>Oikawa Tooru is the setter in MSBY and although Atsumu voluntarily chose to go into acting instead of pursuing a career as a professional volleyball player, he misses the excitement of it all. He misses the feeling of being the most important person in the game and being able to experience the thrill of setting the ball perfectly for his teammates and the sheer euphoria when their team scores a point partly because of him.</p><p>In this game, he pays extra attention to a player wearing #15 on his jersey. Oikawa sets the ball and Sakusa slams it to the other side of the court, earning MSBY another point. Atsumu will never admit it but when he watches Sakusa play, he feels a little regretful for leaving volleyball behind because he never got to work with Sakusa.</p><p>He shakes his thoughts away and tunes back to the match. The duo from Karasuno has split up and they face each other on the court, but Atsumu can't help but notice that they've both gotten so much better. He grins at the vicious quick that Hinata manages to pull off, winning the match for MSBY.</p><p>Everyone except one person in MSBY rushes in for a group hug. The camera pans out and Atsumu sees Sakusa staying at the side, talking to their coach. No one touches him but they do give him huge smiles and a thumbs up, and he returns it with a tired smile of his own. Atsumu thinks that’s the first time he’s seen Sakusa smile. That’s where the recording ends and Atsumu turns off the television, rubbing his dry eyes and yawning loudly.</p><p>It’s getting late and Atsumu considers getting takeout from Miya Onigiri because he’s too lazy to move but the thought of maybe getting to bump into Sakusa at Osamu’s restaurant spurs him into action. Of course he overthinks his outfit but he chooses not to change out of his oversized tee and sweatpants because he doesn’t want Sakusa to think that he dressed up for him -- that is, if they happen to bump into each other.</p><p>He runs a hand through his slightly greasy hair and makes a face at himself in the mirror. “Fuck this, I’ll just wear a cap,” he mutters to himself.</p><p>Less than half an hour later, he enters Miya Onigiri and is greeted by Osamu’s long-term boyfriend, Suna.</p><p>“Hey, Tsumu. Been a while, huh?”</p><p>"Hey, Suna. Yeah, my schedule is <em>killing</em> me. This is my first day off after six weeks of continuous shooting," Atsumu complains. Atsumu knows he should be grateful for having a steady stream of jobs but he gets <em>so tired</em> sometimes.</p><p>Suna hums in response and asks, "You're getting the usual then?"</p><p>"Ya know me so well," Atsumu shoots him finger guns like he's 12 years old. <em>I'm so embarrassing!</em></p><p>Atsumu glances at the table that he and Sakusa previously shared and finds himself disappointed when he sees that it's empty. "I'll just sit over there."</p><p>Suna smirks like he knows something that Atsumu doesn't and usually Atsumu would pester Suna to tell him but something else is keeping him distracted tonight. "Okay. Be right there with your drink."</p><p>Atsumu slouches in his seat, feeling like an idiot for hoping that he would bump into Sakusa here. He honestly doesn’t even really know why he wants to see Sakusa so badly. It isn’t like Sakusa makes for good company anyway, since he doesn’t even respond to what Atsumu says more than half the time. And Sakusa’s prickly, but maybe that’s why Atsumu wants to befriend him; maybe Atsumu thinks he can be one of the people that Sakusa trusts enough to let his guard down around him.</p><p>Atsumu groans and covers his face with his folded arms on the table. <em>What am I thinking? This is so stupid.</em> He tries to convince himself that he’s only taken an interest in Sakusa because he’s just so fascinating. He hears a <em>thunk</em> on the table and assumes that it’s Suna with his drink.</p><p>“Thanks,” he mumbles.</p><p>“What’s wrong with you tonight?” Atsumu’s eyes widen. <em>Wait, that’s --</em></p><p>He lifts his head and meets Sakusa’s eyes. “Omi-omi!”</p><p>Even with his mask on, Atsumu can see Sakusa grimace and he knows he should be a courteous adult and respect Sakusa's words but where's the fun in that. “Don’t you fucking dare, Miya.”</p><p>“Aw, still calling me Miya? But we’re friends now Omi-omi!” Atsumu pouts at him and Sakusa sighs but doesn’t say anything about them <em>not</em> being friends, which Atsumu takes as a win.</p><p>"We barely know each other to be considered friends." Sakusa makes a <em>tch</em> sound and Atsumu's pout transforms into a devious smile.</p><p>"Oh? Does this mean Omi-omi wants us to get to know each other better?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"You don't need to be so shy around me, ya know."</p><p>"I'm not."</p><p>"Ya sure? Because I'm tellin' ya that I don't bite. Unless ya want me to." Atsumu winks just to rile Sakusa up, which doesn't work when Sakusa shows no visible reaction.</p><p>"You're so fucking lame," Sakusa deadpans.</p><p>Atsumu and Sakusa continue to bicker throughout their late dinner, unaware that someone has taken photos of them and posted them online without hesitation.</p><p>This time Atsumu pays for his dinner first and doesn't stick around to chat with his brother so that he can wait outside for Sakusa, not wanting to let Sakusa get away, which is really absurd when he thinks about it. <em>Why am I doing this?</em> He has no answer to that question.</p><p>A few moments later, Sakusa spots him and pauses in his step. Atsumu takes the opportunity to ask, "Did ya drive here or..?"</p><p>"No, I live around here so I walked." Sakusa resumes walking ahead of Atsumu catches up to him so that they walk beside each other, far enough that Sakusa doesn't shove him away. Sakusa glances at him. "Is there a reason you're following me, Miya?"</p><p>Atsumu shoves his hands in his pockets and looks up at the starless sky. "Not really. It's a nice night so I thought I could go for a lil' walk. It just so happens that yer walking home too."</p><p>"You can go for your little walk in the opposite direction."</p><p>Atsumu smirks at Sakusa's blunt words. "And pass up the chance to annoy ya? Couldn't be me. 'Sides, I wanna see where ya live. Ya gotta be rolling in dough from alladat sponsorship money, eh?"</p><p>"Hm. I can't say I can complain, but it's not the main reason why I joined the Black Jackals," Sakusa states.</p><p>Atsumu perks up at this piece of information and glances at Sakusa's profile. "Why <em>did</em> ya join the BJs then? I was honestly kinda surprised when I saw the announcement but," he shrugs. "I mean, I thought <em>I</em> woulda joined the BJs if I'd chosen to go pro but here I am." There he goes again, running his mouth around Sakusa.</p><p>Sakusa glances back at him and their eyes meet, which lasts for a couple of seconds before Sakusa looks forward. Atsumu does the same but he can't stop the way his heart sped up at the way Sakusa looked at him.</p><p>"I wasn't sure if I wanted to be a professional volleyball player until my last year of university. Suddenly I woke up and couldn't imagine myself not doing something I love," Sakusa admits quietly. "And I joined the Black Jackals because it's the best team for me."</p><p>Atsumu realises that this is the first time that Sakusa is opening up to him and he doesn’t take it for granted, so it takes him a few moments to formulate a reply. “That's actually really cool. Ya knew what ya wanted and ya went for it. Not many can say that 'bout themselves," he pauses. "Ah, man. Yer makin’ me kinda regret leaving my first true love behind,” he chuckles but even he knows how strained it sounds.</p><p>Sakusa picks up on his tone and isn’t one to beat around the bush so he asks, “Do you mean that?”</p><p>“I -- I don’t know.” Atsumu’s heart is beating hard in his chest for a completely different reason now. For the first time in a very long time, he feels doubt creeping into his mind and making him question everything that he has done. </p><p>Does he genuinely regret going into acting or is he just being nostalgic? </p><p>He looks at Sakusa again but doesn’t find any answers there too, which sends him spiraling deeper into his mind; flashes of his high school days appear in his mind as he tries to figure out whether he’s happy being an actor or if he chose this path because he was too scared that he wasn’t good enough to go pro so he never tried at all.</p><p>“Miya!” Sakusa barks at him and he startles. Sakusa’s dark eyes ground him and he realises that he has stopped walking and is currently pressing his nails into the delicate skin of his hand, hard enough that the crescent moon shaped marks are red.</p><p>Atsumu gasps and lets go of himself, feeling hot with embarrassment that Sakusa saw him in this state. “Shit, sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” he explains but they both know that he’s lying. They stare at each other for a few more moments before Sakusa nods once and continues walking. </p><p>Atsumu is relieved that Sakusa decided not to question him further and the rest of their walk is heavy with silence. Atsumu tries not to worry about what Sakusa thinks about him now.</p><p>Sakusa stops walking in front of a well-lit lobby of a modern condominium and they face each other.</p><p>“Guess I was right ‘bout that sponsorship money, huh?” Atsumu tries to joke but it falls flat when Sakusa doesn’t react.</p><p>Atsumu sees Sakusa’s eyes glance down to his hand and he fights the urge to stuff it in his pocket. “You should wash that when you get home.”</p><p>Atsumu waits for him to continue but Sakusa doesn’t say anything else, so he says, “Yeah, ‘kay. I will.” Something in Atsumu’s chest blooms in warmth because he knows that Sakusa isn’t an openly affectionate person, so if this is how he shows that he cares then Atsumu will take it.</p><p>Sakusa blinks at the small smile on Atsumu’s face and says, “‘Night, Miya,” before he turns to enter the building without a backward glance.</p><p>It’s only when Atsumu gets into the shower and sees his hand that he remembers he has a dilemma, but like any other young adult, he decides to procrastinate dealing with it until further notice; or well, at least until his shooting is over because there’s no way that he’ll pull out of the project this late unless he wants to disappoint everyone.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Atsumu is in the middle of making himself breakfast when he receives a call from his manager, Saeko. He answers and puts it on loudspeaker.</p><p>“Miya Atsumu!” Saeko yells and he straightens in his chair. Uh oh, it’s never a good thing when she calls him by his full name.</p><p>“Yeah, that’s me,” he answers cheekily. “What’d I do this time?”</p><p>“What’s your relationship with Sakusa Kiyoomi?” The question takes him aback. How did she even know about him hanging out with Sakusa?</p><p>“Uh, we’re friends? No, acquaintances.”</p><p>“You’re not lying to me, are you?”</p><p>“No! Why would I even bother lying to ya when you’ll just whoop my ass when ya find out the truth,” he grumbles, remembering the way Saeko gave him an earful the first and last time he ever lied to her about something.</p><p>Saeko sighs and says, “Okay, because someone took photos of you and Sakusa having a meal at Miya Onigiri last night and posted it online, and they even wrote a post about how you two were ogling each other on your date all night. It’s caused a bit of a frenzy, as you can imagine.”</p><p>It takes a moment for Atsumu to understand what she said before he starts laughing. “Og-- ogling? <em>Date</em>?” He laughs until he’s gasping for breath because he remembers what happened last night and finds it hilarious how someone can misconstrue it in such a way. “Kiyoomi would probably rather re-wear his sweaty clothes than willingly go on a date with me.”</p><p>He notices his slip up too late. “So what I’m hearing is that <em>you</em> want to go on a date with him but he doesn’t?”</p><p>He sputters, “What? No. <em>No</em>, that’s not what I meant.”</p><p>Saeko cackles and he groans. “Whatever you say, Atsumu. I’ll let PR know so they can deal with this appropriately. I’ll see you on set.” The line clicks and Atsumu opens up twitter on his phone to search for those photos of him and Sakusa.</p><p>He finds the original set of photos with thousands of likes and comments, and while the photos aren’t as scandalous as people were making them out to be, he realises now why he and Sakusa looked like they were on a date.</p><p>The photos clearly captured them during one of those rare moments where Sakusa wasn’t scowling or expressionless and was instead in the middle of speaking while Atsumu was listening to him attentively. Atsumu knows that their hands were nowhere near each other last night but the angle of the shot made it look like they were about to hold hands on the table. They looked.. comfortable with each other.</p><p>“Huh,” he breathes out.</p><p>Throughout the day, he’s a professional when he’s working but when he gets moments to himself, his mind wanders back to those photos and the way they looked at each other and with each other. If he looks at the photos and specifically zooms in Sakusa’s face like a creep, well, no one needs to know that.</p><p>At the end of the day, he receives a call from Osamu. He plops down on his bed and drawls, “Yo, Samu.”</p><p>“Yo, Tsumu. See, I was wonderin’ why there were way more people than usual linin’ up to eat at Miya Onigiri today ‘til Suna showed me a coupla photos of ya and Kiyoomi makin’ sex eyes at each other at the restaurant last night. And I thought, <em>of course</em> it’s gotta have somethin’ to do witcha.”</p><p>“Man, we were <em>not</em> makin’ sex eyes at each other ya idiot! An’ is that really how yer thankin’ me for bringin’ traffic to yer restaurant?” Atsumu scoffs and he can visualise Osamu rolling his eyes at him right now.</p><p>“Please, Suna an’ I ain’t blind; yer a simp for Kiyoomi. An’ this place does well enough without yer help.”</p><p>“A <em>simp</em>? Ya mean yer talkin’ ‘bout yourself right? ‘Cause I know Suna got ya whipped,” Atsumu retorts.</p><p>Osamu just laughs and says, “Well yeah, dumbass. We’ve been together longer than yer acting career. But you an’ Kiyoomi? I’ll be waitin’ for yer call so I can tell ya I told ya so.”</p><p>Atsumu goes quiet when his acting career is mentioned, the doubt in his mind making itself known again. “Samu.. do ya think I made the right decision by goin’ into acting?”</p><p>Even though they can’t see each other, his twin brother probably knows how he feels and he hears Osamu sigh deeply. “I knew ya would ask me this some day, but I didn’t know it’d be this soon.”</p><p>“Ya knew? Whaddya mean by that?” Atsumu holds his breath as he waits for Osamu to answer him.</p><p>“Alright, ya asked for it so don’t get mad at me an’ shit for tellin’ ya the truth.” Osamu pauses and Atsumu wants to yell at him to just spit it out already. “Ya coulda gone pro but for some stupid ass reason only ya know, ya didn’t believe in yerself an’ yer skills so ya chose the easy way out an’ chose the second best thing ya were good at. Ya lived and breathed volleyball, Tsumu. I dunno why ya gotta torture yourself like this. I know ya miss volleyball, hell, I know you’d be <em>happier</em> if ya were playing volleyball right now.”</p><p>Osamu’s words hit him like a punch in the gut and it leaves him feeling breathless. All this time, he had been running away from his true self because he was too afraid of failure, not realising that by rejecting himself he was only hurting himself regardless of whether he was a success or a failure. He lets out a short mirthless laugh. “Oh man. I was a fucking idiot, wasn’t I?”</p><p>“Well, ya still are. But yeah, pretty much.”</p><p>“Thanks, Samu. Hate to say it but yer always savin’ my dumb ass.”</p><p>Osamu chuckles and says, “There’s a reason why I’m the older twin and yer not.”</p><p>They bid each other goodnight and Atsumu feels like a weight has lifted off of his shoulders and he’s more determined than ever to go back to volleyball. He’s willing to work harder than anyone else to prove to himself that he’s the best setter in all of Japan. But first, he hopes that his manager doesn’t kill him for cutting his successful acting career short.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>me: don't project onto your characters<br/>also me: projects<br/>if the characters seem ooc, this is why lol</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Even though Atsumu would like to tell Saeko that he plans on retiring from acting to pursue being a professional volleyball player immediately, he decides to hold off his announcement until his latest project is completed.</p><p>He thinks he's doing a good job at keeping his secret from Saeko but of course, she notices that he's hiding something from her, which leads her to cornering him before he can escape from the set.</p><p>Her sharp gaze pins him down and she asks seriously, “Atsumu, is there anything you want to tell me?”</p><p>He really doesn't know how she does it, it's like she has a superpower for uncovering truths. His eyes dart away from hers and he rubs the back of his neck. “Um. Maybe?”</p><p>“Atsumu.”</p><p>He sighs and tells her, “Okay, fine. But can we discuss this somewhere more private?” It's already a big enough decision for him, he doesn't want anyone else to overhear them and run to the press with this information.</p><p>They decide to go back to Saeko’s office and Atsumu can’t help but feel a little nervous because he doesn’t know how she’ll react to his news. Even though he’s 99% sure that she’ll react positively, it’s the 1% that scares him. They sit on the sofa in her office, facing each other and she places a comforting hand on top of Atsumu’s hands that are gripped tightly in his lap.</p><p>“Hey. Atsumu. Relax, okay? Whatever you want to tell me, I promise that we’ll get through it together,” she tells him gently.</p><p>That's right. I trust her an' she's like an older sister to me.</p><p>Atsumu relaxes his fingers and shoulders and takes a deep breath. “Saeko-chan, I just wanna start by sayin’ that I’m really grateful for all that you’ve done for me the past few years, for believin’ in me and for gettin’ me the jobs that've led me here as an actor today. I’m so lucky to have gained all the experience so I could grow as an actor and I couldn’t have done it without ya,” he pauses and Saeko’s understanding gaze gives him the courage to continue.</p><p>“An’ while I like actin’, I don’t love it, ya know, ‘cause volleyball’s always been it for me. So I wanna retire from actin’ after this project’s done an’ play in the v.league. I mean, I know that it ain’t gonna be easy ‘cause I haven’t played in a while but I think I’d regret it my whole life if I didn’t at least try."</p><p>Atsumu releases a breath and watches as Saeko's grim expression turns into one of relief and finally amusement. One of her hands press against her chest and she lightly scolds him, "Oh my god, don't ever do that to me. You had me terrified! I thought you were going to tell me something horrible, like you were going to fire me or you were dying."</p><p>He smiles sheepishly at her. "Sorry, but I was worried that you'd get mad at me. An' I would never fire ya! No one else would put up with me."</p><p>She rolls her eyes and says, "Good that you know that! Now, if only you appreciated me as much as you claim."</p><p>Then there's a fond smile on her face. "I love you like a brother and I'll support you no matter what you do," she pauses. "And since we're being honest, I have to say that I'm not surprised. Well, maybe a little but mostly because I was expecting this to happen at least two and a half years ago. So really, I think I've been expecting this ever since you signed with us."</p><p>Atsumu's eyes widen and his mouth forms a little O shape, "What?"</p><p>Saeko laughs at him not unkindly, patting his shoulder. "No offense but you're less self-aware than you think you are."</p><p>"I'm realisin' that now," he grumbles. Am I really that dense? Probably.</p><p>Saeko gets back into manager mode and questions him about his decisions moving forward and they both agree that the company will make an announcement of his retirement on behalf of him once the shooting has wrapped up, but he doesn't want them to reveal the reason for his retirement. Instead he'll do that himself when he feels ready to.</p><p>Until then, he plans on easing himself back into volleyball, which means he needs to start practicing regularly again to polish his skills if he wants to play in the v.league.</p><p>As if reading his mind, she asks, "You're gonna start practicing again, aren't you?"</p><p>He nods and frowns slightly. "Yeah, that's not a problem, right?"</p><p>"No. As long as you know your limits and you don't hurt yourself because remember, you still have a job to complete."</p><p>Atsumu assures her that he's not one to be irresponsible or reckless. They conclude their discussion and before they part ways, Saeko pulls him into an unexpected hug.</p><p>"I'm happy for you, Atsumu. Make yourself proud." She beams at him and he feels gratitude swelling inside him. He will make himself proud by being the best setter and he'll do whatever it takes to get there.</p>
<hr/><p>Atsumu has work most days but any time he's not working or resting at home, he's practicing on the court. This means that he's usually practicing early in the morning or late in the evening, when there's the least number of people.</p><p>He has missed this so much and he didn't even realise it until he felt the familiar weight of the ball in his hands. He enjoys the burn of his muscles and he feels himself getting stronger and more precise after every practice session. It fuels him and he looks forward to practicing more and more.</p><p>Some days he practices with Osamu or Aran -- who congratulated him for coming back to volleyball and said, "Took you long enough!" -- and it's those days that make him feel like he can do anything because he has the encouragement and support of his best friends.</p><p>It's rare that Osamu and Aran are available at the same time but when they are, Atsumu takes full advantage of them by making them team up against him in a practice match.</p><p>Of course, with Aran actually being in a Division 1 team, it's a challenge that Atsumu greedily accepts and he's not even mad when they beat him 2-1. Instead it just motivates him to work harder, so when they leave for the night, Atsumu chooses to stay and practice until he's told that the center is closing in half an hour.</p><p>He's sweaty and his muscles are sore but he's not tired at all. As he showers, he reminds himself to check when the tryouts for the Black Jackals are being held so he can adjust his training program more effectively. He ignores the little voice in his head that's saying he's only trying to join the BJs because of a certain someone.</p><p>No fuckin' way. I'm not that desperate. Who the fuck's Omi-omi to me anyway? No one, that's who. No, that's not true but we're not friends that's for sure. The Black Jackals is just the best team in Division 1, even better than the Adlers.</p><p>When he walks past Miya Onigiri, he's dismayed that the inside of it is dark and empty. To rub salt in the wound, his stomach rumbles loudly and he feels his cheeks heat up, looking around to make sure that no one else heard it.</p><p>"Argh," he groans before calling Osamu to ask if he has any leftover onigiris at his place.</p><p>The call goes unanswered and he scowls at his phone. "Shitty Samu," he curses under his breath, not wanting to admit that it's his own fault he's starving.</p><p>Even though he began meal-prepping since he started training, he's just not in the mood to eat another meal of grilled chicken meat, broccoli and rice. His stomach emits another loud growl that's accompanied with a stab of pain.</p><p>"Ah, fuck." He really should've eaten before practice or ended practice earlier.</p><p>The sound of plastic rustling alerts him of the presence of someone approaching him. He turns around and is met with the sight of Sakusa holding a big bag of what looks like cleaning supplies. Sakusa abruptly stops walking when he catches Atsumu's eyes.</p><p>"Hey, Omi-kun." I should tell him I'm retiring from acting.</p><p>"Miya," Sakusa tilts his head in greeting.</p><p>"You went shopping?" Atsumu asks in curiosity.</p><p>The hand not holding the bag of supplies flexes and Atsumu notes that Sakusa's wearing a pair of latex gloves. "The store's usually empty around this time of night."</p><p>"Right." I should, I should.</p><p>"Right," Sakusa pauses. "Goodnight, Miya."</p><p>I want to tell him.</p><p>The words are at the tip of Atsumu's tongue and Sakusa's already walking away and --</p><p>"Omi-kun-- Wait!" Atsumu walks towards Sakusa who's standing under a street lamp, illuminating his face and forming deeper shadows.</p><p>"What?" Sakusa sounds irritated and it causes Atsumu to blurt out his next words.</p><p>"I'm joining the tryouts for the Black Jackals this year."</p><p>Sakusa's eyes widen then narrow at him. "What? Why?" Now he sounds kind of pissed off which pisses off Atsumu.</p><p>"Whaddya mean why? I'm quittin' acting 'cause talkin' to ya the other day made me realise how much I actually love volleyball."</p><p>Sakusa rolls his eyes. "No, idiot. I mean, why are you trying out for the Black Jackals and not another team?"</p><p>"Why not, dumbass? The BJs are the best team in Division 1!" This earns him another hard eye roll from Sakusa and he huffs in annoyance and thinks not for the first time that Sakusa's a major asshole.</p><p>"And what does this have to do with me," Sakusa asks flatly, his eyes dark under the light. Atsumu would be offended if he wasn't just as big of an asshole as Sakusa, if not bigger.</p><p>The moment of truth, Atsumu thinks wryly. He arranges his expression to be one of cockiness. "I was gonna ask ya if ya wanted to practice hitting my sets. Ya know, to get used to me before I inevitably join the BJs as the starting setter."</p><p>Sakusa raises his eyebrows and appraises Atsumu, looking unimpressed. "Only you could sound like a smug asshole while asking for help."</p><p>"Thanks, Omi-omi." Atsumu grins at him and Sakusa just scowls under his face mask.</p><p>Atsumu rocks on the balls of his feet. "So, would ya?" C'mon, say yes.</p><p>Sakusa shrugs. "I'll think about it."</p><p>Atsumu's grin grows wider because he didn't say no. "'Kay. Gimme your number so I can text ya whenever I'm practicing."</p><p>He can clearly see Sakusa hesitating and he says, "I'll only text ya about practice, nothin' else. Scout's honour." He holds up three fingers next to his head.</p><p>Sakusa scoffs and mutters, "As if I'm dumb enough to believe that you were a scout, Miya," but rattles off his phone number anyway, albeit reluctantly. Atsumu saves his contact as Omi-omi and if he adds a little star emoji after, it's only for him to know.</p>
<hr/><p>True to his word, Atsumu only texts Sakusa whenever he's going training and the first time he texted him, he didn't receive a reply despite checking his phone every 10 minutes and in the end, Sakusa hadn't showed up and he had trained alone again. That night, he had received a short message from Sakusa that said, Sorry, was busy.</p><p>Atsumu wasn't discouraged though, and day after day, he texts Sakusa only to be told that he was busy with his own training with the Black Jackals, which fuels Atsumu's desire to join the team.</p><p>But after a week of sending the same boring text message to Sakusa, he 'breaks' his Scout's honour, because he was obviously too obsessed with volleyball to even bother with anything else when he was still in school. It goes like this:</p><p>Omi-omi 🌟</p><p>omi-omi<br/>
dya like cats?<br/>
nvm i'll send it to u anyway<br/>
[Link to a video]</p><p>I thought I was gonna have<br/>
to block you.<br/>
But that was cute.</p><p>!!!!! u texted back</p><p>Okay. Bye.</p><p>wait noooooo<br/>
omi-omi<br/>
???? :(</p><p>So that's how Atsumu learns that Sakusa likes cats and even before obtaining this bit of information, Atsumu has always spent most of his time online watching cat videos -- besides volleyball matches -- because they give him a serotonin boost, but now he has someone (other than Osamu) to share them with.</p><p>Sakusa's not the best texter because he tends to reply hours later or he sometimes completely forgets to reply at all, and Atsumu initiates the conversation all of the time but he doesn't really mind.</p><p>He doesn't mind because at least Sakusa reads his messages. Wow, I'm a fuckin' loser, huh, Atsumu thinks when he finds himself smiling while rereading some of Sakusa's replies.</p><p>Atsumu doesn't expect Sakusa to show up again after he texts him, so he mentally goes through what he's supposed to do during practice today, which mostly consists of practicing his serves, spikes and tosses. But surprisingly, Sakusa makes an appearance while he's warming up.</p><p>Sakusa's dressed for practice but he looks slightly uncomfortable as he surveys his new environment and Atsumu briefly wonders whether he had just come from a practice with the Black Jackals or if he'd come straight from home.</p><p>"Omi-kun, ya made it!" Atsumu walks over to Sakusa as he wipes down the bench before placing his gym bag on it.</p><p>Sakusa removes his mask and seals it in a bag before speaking, "Practice was cut short so I thought I'd come here."</p><p>"Hm, is that all? Are ya sure ya didn't come here 'cause ya missed me?"</p><p>"If all you're gonna do is talk shit then I'm leaving." Sakusa glares at him and Atsumu smirks when the tip of Sakusa's ears turn red. Oh I've missed this alright.</p><p>"Fine, I'll do the shit talking after practice," Atsumu mockingly sighs dejectedly but quickly turns serious because he's eager to start practicing with Sakusa.</p><p>"Ya warmed up?" Atsumu asks and Sakusa nods.</p><p>They're on the court and Atsumu's ready to set the ball when Sakusa's gleaming eyes catch his attention. "Let's see if your tosses are as good as Oikawa's," he taunts.</p><p>It's a challenge that Atsumu won't lose and Atsumu returns Sakusa's smirk with one of his own. "Trust me, I'm better."</p><p>The ball goes in the air and they start practicing in earnest.</p><p>They lose track of time and only end their practice when it's announced that they have half an hour before the building closes for the night. They cool down quickly and are the only ones in the locker room this late.</p><p>Atsumu dries his hair with a towel while he waits for Sakusa to get out of the shower. He can still feel the excitement of having Sakusa hit his set for the first time; it was perfectly executed and Atsumu craves for more opportunities to set up the ball perfectly for each player in the Black Jackals, more time on the court, more.</p><p>He wants it all.</p><p>Sakusa steps out in clean clothes and a frown.</p><p>"What's wrong?"</p><p>"What." Sakusa directs his frown at him.</p><p>"Yer makin' a face," Atsumu points out.</p><p>Sakusa's frown deepens before he says, "I'm showering at home next time."</p><p>Next time. Atsumu doesn't try to hide his smile and says, "Okay, Omi-omi."</p><p>Sakusa blinks at him and turns away to dry his hair using the hairdryer after wiping it with an antibacterial wipe. Just to irk Sakusa, Atsumu says loudly to be heard over the hairdryer, "We have 3 minutes left before they kick us out," when they have about 10 minutes left.</p><p>Sakusa shows him his middle finger and Atsumu laughs quietly, going back to using his phone.</p><p>They walk out of the building with a couple of minutes to spare and they're greeted by the balmy night, the half moon high in the sky. They're standing beside each other and Atsumu notices Sakusa shifting his body and Atsumu does the same so they're facing each other. They speak at the same time.</p><p>"Ya hungry, Omi-omi?"</p><p>"See you around, Miya."</p><p>Ah. There's a pause when Atsumu's expression falls and Sakusa's eyes widen slightly and he drops his gaze to look at the ground. In the split second it takes for Sakusa to lift his gaze, Atsumu composes himself and places a self-assured smile on his face. "Another time, then. Thanks for practicin' with me today, Omi-omi."</p><p>Sakusa nods slowly. "...Sure."</p><p>Atsumu watches Sakusa's retreating figure in the dark and wonders when he'll have another chance to practice with him.</p>
<hr/><p>As it turns out, Atsumu doesn't have to wait long before Sakusa turns up again and soon enough, they establish a routine that allows them to practice together at least thrice a week, which is plenty since they both have their own jobs with sometimes conflicting schedules.</p><p>The thing about Atsumu is he's consistent and he likes forming new habits, so the more time he spends in Sakusa's company -- whether at practice or at post-practice meals -- the more habits he picks up from him. He starts carrying with him packets of tissue and antibacterial wipes, he has a small bottle of hand sanitizer when he needs it and he has a small bag to put his face mask in when it's not in use, instead of just chucking it in his bag or pocket.</p><p>These small changes don't go unnoticed by those that know him. Sakusa doesn't say anything about it but the first few times Atsumu sanitised his hands, he looks at Atsumu like he's a puzzle that he can't solve. And of course Osamu notices his new habits and gives him shit for it because it's his duty as an older brother to do so.</p><p>Before, Atsumu would only wipe his hands on a piece of tissue or sometimes even his pants -- but mostly at home -- after eating but now he wipes them thoroughly with a wet wipe. His mother would've approved this improvement in his behaviour.</p><p>"Oho, lil' Atsumu's all grown up an' knows how to clean up after himself," Osamu says and accompanies his words with a slow clap.</p><p>His grin is sharp and teasing and Atsumu sneers at him. "It's called basic hygiene, ya dumbass."</p><p>Osamu sits across him and props his arms on the table. "Ah, look at ya. The things ya do to get your crush to notice ya, huh. How's that workin' out for ya so far?"</p><p>"The fuck are ya talkin' about?" Atsumu groans in exasperation.</p><p>"Oh c'mon, Tsumu."</p><p>"What," Atsumu spits out. He gets so annoyed when Osamu acts this way, all mocking and shit.</p><p>Osamu scrutinises him silently and suddenly barks a laugh, straightening himself. "Holy shit. Ya really are clueless." He stands up and shakes his head, placing a hand on Atsumu's shoulder. "When ya figure it out, call me so Suna an' I can laugh at ya."</p><p>"Ugh. Fuck off, 'Samu." Atsumu sends him a mean glare and Osamu just chuckles while walking away, leaving Atsumu confused and feeling like the butt of a joke, which he hates.</p><p>Osamu's words bother him throughout his walk to the building where he practices at but when he sees two very familiar faces bouncing around the court with Sakusa, his mind goes blank.</p><p>"Huh?" He mutters and just stands there, watching them until the shorter one notices him. Why are they here?</p><p>"OHHHH," MSBY's #21 Hinata Shouyou yells, which catches the attention of the team's #12 Bokuto Koutarou and Sakusa. "It's Atsumu-san!"</p><p>Sakusa lingers back while his overexcited teammates introduce themselves to Atsumu.</p><p>"Hi, Atsumu-san! Do you remember me? My name's Hinata Shouyou and we played against each other in high school! I was in Karasuno and when we defeated you, you told me that you'd set for me one day!" Hinata takes a deep breath and grins at Atsumu.</p><p>Atsumu's eyes widen slightly and he returns the enthusiastic smile. "Yeah, 'course I know who ya are, Shouyou-chan! Did ya grow taller? It looks like ya did. But did I really say that? I can't believe ya remembered that though."</p><p>"YEAH, I grew taller! I'm 171cm now!"</p><p>"Nice, Shou-chan!" He chuckles and moves his attention to Bokuto who seems to be vibrating in excitement.</p><p>"Hey, hey, hey Tsum-tsum! Wait, can I call you that?" Bokuto asks belatedly, his eyes wide.</p><p>"Sure ya can, Bokuto-kun!"</p><p>"Nice! Hey, you know who I am! And you know Shou-chan too. Oh! Then you must be a big fan of the BJs, right Tsum-tsum?" Bokuto manages to ask that genuinely and curiously, which Atsumu finds oddly endearing.</p><p>"Well, yeah. I mean, it's only fun when yer a fan of the best team in the v.league, ya know."</p><p>Hinata and Bokuto share a look before looking back at Atsumu with big smiles and ask in unison, "You really think we're the best?"</p><p>"Hell yeah, ya are!"</p><p>They drag him over to the court, where Sakusa's standing alone and they decide to pair up -- Sakusa with Bokuto and Atsumu with Hinata, because Atsumu's always wanted to execute a quick attack with Hinata -- in order to have a 2v2 practice match.</p><p>Atsumu feels invigorated when he lands his first service ace and Bokuto and Hinata stare at him with wide eyes before cheering for him.</p><p>"Uwaaaahhh! That was so cool, Atsumu-san!" Hinata looks at him with stars in his eyes and Atsumu returns his high five.</p><p>Atsumu catches Sakusa's eyes from across the court and smirks at him before serving the ball in his direction. Sakusa receives it beautifully, the ball goes high and Bokuto spikes it down the middle of the court. Even though Hinata's on the opposite team, he still cheers for his MSBY teammates and gives Bokuto a high five as well.</p><p>Atsumu is having the most fun he's had in a while and it's all because of these guys who are passionate about the game, and who give their absolute all in every movement just to keep the ball in the air and to keep the match going, much like Atsumu himself. He wouldn't want anyone else to be his future teammates and he vows to make it into the team, no matter what it takes.</p><p>He doesn't know how long they've been playing but he vaguely notices that they've gathered a small crowd of onlookers who cheer every time a point is scored, regardless of which team scores. He quickly glances at the scoreboard, where they've asked two high school kids to help them keep track of the scores.</p><p>Sakusa and Bokuto won the first set and he and Hinata won the second. After the point that Sakusa scored previously, they're tied at 22 points. Atsumu has always been confident in his skills as a setter but tossing to Hinata and having it be the perfect toss brings him to a whole other level of euphoria, especially when he knows that it's his tosses that make Hinata fly.</p><p>Atsumu blocks a spike from Sakusa and earns their team another point. With his service ace, he earns them the match point. But then Bokuto executes a mean straight that neither him nor Hinata manage to receive. Sakusa serves and Hinata barely receives the ball, keeping the game going for just another moment.</p><p>"Sorry, it's short!"</p><p>Atsumu plans his winning point and yells, "Shou-chan!"</p><p>In the blink of an eye, Hinata is there and ready to finish the game. As if in slow motion, Atsumu can clearly see the ball being tossed in the air before Hinata jumps in the air and is suspended midair for a moment before his arm comes down and smacks the ball to the opposite end of the court. It's breathtaking.</p><p>Atsumu and Hinata win the practice match but no one's a sore loser and everyone thanks each other for the good game. Hinata jumps onto Atsumu to hug him without warning, but Atsumu catches himself to prevent them from falling onto the floor.</p><p>"You're so cool, Tsumu-san! Your tosses are the best! And your service aces too!"</p><p>Bokuto joins the hug and they're all sweaty and disgusting but in this moment, Atsumu doesn't care. In fact, he wants these to happen more often and on a more permanent basis. Eventually, Atsumu pries them off of him so they can go shower, and it's only then that he notices that Sakusa's already gone.</p><p>He shakes his head, a small smile forming on his face. Ah, this guy. He's probably already showering.</p><p>When they're all done showering and changing into clean clothes, they leave the building together but they go their separate ways when Hinata and Bokuto say they're having dinner with their boyfriends.</p><p>Atsumu asks Sakusa, "I know Shou-chan's with Tobio-chan when news of them being t'gether came out, but who's Bokkun dating?"</p><p>"Akaashi Keiji. He's an editor at one of the major manga publishing houses."</p><p>"Huh, okay."</p><p>Atsumu is reminded of a scene similar to this, where they're both facing each other and waiting for the right time to speak.</p><p>"Say, Omi-omi --"</p><p>"Miya --"</p><p>It happens again and Atsumu hopes that this time, the outcome is different.</p><p>"Uh, sorry. You go first," Atsumu tells Sakusa.</p><p>Sakusa hesitates, his dark eyes staring into Atsumu's own and then he says, "Miya, do you want to have dinner together?"</p><p>Atsumu's so shocked that he doesn't say anything for a moment and he feels warmth climbing up his cheeks. It gives Sakusa the perfect opportunity to poke fun at him. "Well, well. As I live and breathe, Miya Atsumu finally loses the upper hand at the game he created." He snickers.</p><p>Atsumu quickly looks away and briefly regrets not wearing his face mask. But then he gets a brilliant idea and looks back at Sakusa whose eyes are crinkled, like he's smiling under his mask. Or scowling. It could be either but Atsumu's willing to bet it's a smile.</p><p>"It's a date then, Omi-omi." Atsumu gains the upper hand yet again when he spots a dusting of pink on Sakusa's cheeks in the fading light.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you to everyone that gave me a kudos and/or commented!! i really appreciate it &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They unanimously agree on not eating at Miya Onigiri and instead, Atsumu tells Sakusa to choose where to eat. It's his turn to choose anyway. They've done this before -- have meals together and Atsumu doesn't know why he expects it to be different, because it's not.</p><p>They're still Atsumu and Sakusa and they still bicker on the way to the restaurant and sometimes have conversations in between bites of food -- if they're not devouring the food, that is.</p><p>Tonight's dinner consists of fusion pasta at a small café near Sakusa's place. They've been here a couple times already because the food tastes good and the portions are pretty big, enough to satiate them after a day of hard work and practice and most importantly, there's never a crowd here, which probably isn't an ideal situation for the restaurant but it works for them.</p><p>They're sitting at their usual table at this café and an indie song plays softly in the background while they eat. It's nice.</p><p>And even though they're not speaking to each other, Atsumu doesn't feel the pressure to force a conversation. He likes that the silence between them has evolved from being awkward to being rather comfortable.</p><p>But he has been wondering about something since he saw Hinata and Bokuto so he asks, "Omi-omi, why did Shou-chan and Bokkun show up at our practice today? Did ya invite them or somethin'?"</p><p>"Ha, they invited themselves."</p><p>"Whaddya mean by that?"</p><p>"They confronted me today while I was leaving and told me that they wanted to know where I was going and what I was doing on our day off. I told them I was going to practice and they demanded to follow along." Sakusa shrugs. "I didn't think you'd mind."</p><p>"They're pretty fun guys so it's chill. If they wanna join us for more practice sessions, I wouldn't be opposed to it, just sayin'." Atsumu doesn't want to get his hopes up too high but he really hopes they help him practice and improve his skills.</p><p>"After today's match, there's no way they won't be eager for more. Knowing them, they would probably be attached to your hip from now on." Sakusa rolls his eyes but Atsumu knows that he isn't really annoyed because there's a small fond smile on his face.</p><p>Atsumu likes it when Sakusa smiles, he really likes it, and he can't help but feel a little flutter in his chest. He grins and says, "Omi-kun, ya realise that ya just complimented me right?"</p><p>"I did no such thing."</p><p>"Yeah, ya did."</p><p>"You're delusional," Sakusa scoffs.</p><p>"Oh yeah? Then what did ya mean when ya said Bokkun and Shou-chan would be eager to practice with me more after today? I mean, let's look at the facts here. The three of ya regularly practice with your team and each other but today's the first day that they practiced with me, so this clearly means that they'd be joining our practice because of me and my amazing skills."</p><p>It's only at the end of his explanation that he realises Sakusa was joking around and he had just made a fool of himself. He flushes deeper in embarrassment and pouts when Sakusa's mouth twists into a smirk.</p><p>"Hah. Very funny, Omi-kun."</p><p>"Nah, that was all you, Miya."</p><p>"Asshole."</p><p>"Dumbass."</p><p>The glare they point at each other lacks any real heat though and they resume eating their dinner. Then Sakusa gets a slice of cake for dessert and shares half of it with Atsumu. They do this sometimes, if they want to prolong the time they spend together without being too obvious about it.</p><p>The thing is that they both know what the other is doing and they choose to stay silent, letting each other think that they're being subtle.</p><p>It all started when one evening, they were finished with their meal and Sakusa wanted to go home but Atsumu wanted to continue their conversation. Atsumu impulsively asked Sakusa if he wanted dessert.</p><p>Sakusa's eyes lit up then dimmed. "No, I can't. It's too much sugar for me this late."</p><p>"Then we'll share it."</p><p>Atsumu could see Sakusa carefully considering his offer before agreeing to share a slice of pie. Of course when the pie arrived, Sakusa had asked the waitress for an extra plate and he had cut the slice of pie in half, transferring it to the empty plate for Atsumu.</p><p>Since Sakusa was the one who had ordered dessert this time, Atsumu waits patiently for Sakusa's questions while he nibbles on his slice of tiramisu. He doesn't drink coffee but he likes coffee-flavoured desserts, oddly enough.</p><p>Finally, Sakusa asks, "When will your current project be completed?"</p><p>Sakusa rarely ever asks Atsumu anything about his acting career but Atsumu doesn't show his surprise as he answers, "We're almost done with shooting all the scenes so I think we have 'bout a month or a month an' a half before filming wraps up. Then it goes into post-production for its release next year."</p><p>Atsumu wants to ask him why he wants to know but he holds his tongue. "So you'll be able to practice full-time before tryouts," Sakusa says quietly, almost to himself.</p><p>"Yeah, but only for a few weeks."</p><p>Sakusa gazes at him, face unreadable and Atsumu starts to feel a little nervous because Sakusa hasn't acted like this since they started hanging out more regularly. "Um, what?"</p><p>"Do you think you'll make it into the team?"</p><p>"Yes," Atsumu doesn't hesitate, because not only is he confident in his abilities but he's also promised himself that even if he doesn't make it this season, he'll try again next season or the next, if needed. But he hopes he gets in with his first try.</p><p>Sakusa throws him a question that he has asked himself many times before. "And you think you can beat Oikawa to be the starting setter of MSBY?"</p><p>"I can and I will." Atsumu knows that Oikawa's a damn good setter and while he isn't willing to declare his intentions to the world, he isn't afraid of working quietly and reaping the rewards later. Oikawa Tooru won't know what'll hit him by the next season.</p><p>"Okay. If you don't get in this season, then I'll beat your ass for wasting my time practicing with you."</p><p>"Ooh, I didn't know Omi-kun could be so kinky. Will ya spank me with yer hand or somethin' else?"</p><p>"You really want to know or you wanna get into the team? Choose wisely," Sakusa deadpans but his eyes are hard, provoking Atsumu.</p><p>"What if I say I want both?"</p><p>Atsumu cackles at the way Sakusa balks at his words, not wanting to admit to himself that the thought of Sakusa naked and ready to put his hands on him had entered his mind unbidden, leaving him quite flustered for the rest of the night.</p><hr/><p>Saeko finds out before him. It's way too early in the morning and he's in the middle of getting his hair and makeup done when she gently shakes him awake.</p><p>"Hm? What's up?"</p><p>She just offers him her phone with a page already open.</p><p>His eyes feel heavy and he yawns as he takes the phone from her. It takes him several moments to make sense of what he's reading, eyes widening and hope blazing in his chest. When he's done reading the news article, he looks at Saeko grinning down at him.</p><p>"Saeko-chan. This is real, right? I'm not dreaming, am I?" He can't hold back his laughter when Saeko pinches him on his bicep.</p><p>"Now, I know that tryouts are still a while away but I'll be looking forward to your appointment as the starting setter for MSBY now that Oikawa-kun's transferring to an Argentinian professional volleyball team."</p><p>"I won't let ya down, Saeko-chan." Atsumu scrolls up to find the name of the team. "The Club Athletico San Juan, huh."</p><p>Now he understands why Sakusa has been pushing him harder during practice the past couple of weeks, making him repeat his movements over and over again. Atsumu feels hyped up and he can't wait for today's shooting to end so he can start practicing and perfecting his movements.</p><p>He doesn't know why Oikawa would suddenly transfer to an Argentinian team but he doesn't really care, because all that matters now is that he has a very real chance of being the starting setter in the Black Jackals.</p><p>Filming goes exceptionally well today and Atsumu's able to take a power nap before going to practice at the usual time. He feels a little different -- lighter and stronger, like he's an anime protagonist who has just unlocked all his power and he's now invincible. He laughs at himself because his thoughts are ridiculous.</p><p>"Omi-kun!" He approaches Sakusa with a spring in his step.</p><p>"I take it you've seen the news." Sakusa tightens the laces on his shoes before straightening himself.</p><p>"Hell yeah, I did! I thought I'd have to wait 'til next season to be the starting setter but now all I gotta do now is pass the tryouts."</p><p>Sakusa starts warming up and advises, "I wouldn't get ahead of myself if I were you."</p><p>Atsumu glances at him questioningly and Sakusa continues, "Like you said, the BJs is probably the top team right now so there's going to be many talented people just like you at the tryouts. You need to be exceptional if you want to make the cut. And Oikawa will be there along with the coach to assess you and determine which one of you is the best setter for the team."</p><p>Atsumu feels an overwhelming urge to give Sakusa a hug but he knows that if he goes for it, Sakusa will probably kick his ass so he settles on saying, "Thanks for looking out for me, Omi-omi." He means it too, because as both an actor and athlete, it isn't good to either overestimate or underestimate his own skills.</p><p>And Sakusa didn't have to spend all his free time practicing with him but he still does, and that itself could give Atsumu an advantage over anyone else trying out.</p><p>"Hey, Omi-kun. D'ya think that yer practicin' with me is maybe kinda unfair to the others who are tryin' out for the team?"</p><p>"Why? Because you get to practice your tosses with me?"</p><p>"Well, yeah."</p><p>Sakusa bites his lips while forming an answer, causing Atsumu to stare at his pink soft lips and wonder what it would feel like to kiss him. Wait-- what the fuck.</p><p>Atsumu freezes up and his eyes widen comically before darting away to avoid eye contact with Sakusa. That was a -- uh, an intrusive thought. Right? Yeah, that's all.</p><p>He manages to compose himself before Sakusa answers, relieved that Sakusa didn't seem to notice him acting weird. "No, I don't think so. We're just two people practicing, it's not like I'm using my connections to get you into the team and I won't be the one judging you at the tryouts. There's no conflict of interest involved."</p><p>"Huh, yeah. That makes sense."</p><p>Sakusa doesn't respond and instead he lifts a ball and starts working on his serves while Atsumu finishes up his warm up exercises.</p><p>Atsumu is no stranger to beautiful people, with him being in the entertainment industry, but as his eyes linger on Sakusa's broad back that tapers down to a slim waist and powerful long legs, he thinks that this is the type of beauty that he likes the best; the beauty in strength and hours of hard work and discipline.</p><p>But once he gets onto the court, all thoughts of physical beauty leave his mind, enabling him to concentrate on only the game at hand; because if he gets distracted by trivial thoughts that affect his performance, then there's no way he deserves to be the starting setter of the Black Jackals.</p><hr/><p>The last day of filming arrives and ends in a blink of an eye and everyone on set is feeling a mixture of happiness, relief and excitement to be able to complete the project on time. Atsumu thanks everyone who has helped out with contributing to the successful completion of filming this project because he may be on the big screen but he's aware that this movie wouldn't have been possible without everyone involved.</p><p>The directors and producers treat everyone on set to a delicious late lunch to celebrate and Saeko tells Atsumu that news of his retirement will be released tomorrow morning.</p><p>The people closest to him already know about his decision to retire from acting and they've all been very supportive of him, so whatever reaction he'll receive from the public tomorrow, he knows that it won't hurt him.</p><p>Saeko nudges his foot with her own. "How are you feeling?"</p><p>"Proud of myself and thankful for you." He smiles at her warmly.</p><p>She gets up from her seat and hugs him from behind tightly, almost pulling Atsumu into a headlock since he's still seated. She's surprisingly strong for someone her size. "Aww, that was so sweet! I'm really gonna miss you, Atsumu."</p><p>He pats her forearm comfortingly and as a silent cry for her to let go of him when she starts swaying side to side, pulling him along with her. "We'll still see each other out of work and ya can come to our matches when yer free."</p><p>"Well, you're right. But it won't be the same as working with you."</p><p>"I mean, I've grown up a bit over the past few years but ya gotta admit that I was a brat when we first met." Atsumu chuckles at the memories of him causing a mess and Saeko having to clean it up for him because he was young and stupid. To be fair, he's still young but he likes to think that he's less stupid now.</p><p>Saeko lets go of him to fold her arms, looking down at him with a fire burning in her eyes. "A brat?! You were probably the most annoying client I had at the time and I can't count the number of times I wanted to put my hands around your neck."</p><p>Atsumu scoots his chair away from her, fearing for his life. "Um."</p><p>"Anyway, that's all in the past and I'm proud of the man that you've become." Saeko does a complete 180° and gives him a warm smile, patting him twice on his head like he's a little kid before putting her dirty plate and used utensils away, leaving him to recover from the whiplash.</p><hr/><p>It's still too early for him to get ready for practice and he doesn't want to waste his time at home doing nothing, even though he probably deserves it after constantly working. But he also realises after checking his fridge that he's running low on food so he decides on going grocery shopping.</p><p>When he and Osamu were younger, their mother would always bring them along when she went grocery shopping and while Osamu was the one who mostly helped out, Atsumu preferred to wander past the aisles aimlessly and when they found him empty-handed, he just gave the excuse of not being able to find anything.</p><p>Atsumu didn't like to shop for groceries because he used to get overwhelmed by the number of choices that he was presented with and he'd spent an extended period of time just trying to decide on what to buy. But he's since formed an effective strategy that maximised his limited time spent in the grocery store, which is to write a shopping list and to get whatever brand of item that he remembers his mum getting for their family.</p><p>He's wearing a mask and his blonde hair is covered with a cap, making him practically unrecognisable but his worries are unwarranted because there aren't that many people and most of them are older aunties, considering that the workday isn't over yet.</p><p>He's halfway through his list when he sees a familiar figure at the end of the aisle.</p><p>Omi-kun? If he were any other person, he wouldn't be able to recognise Sakusa but they've spent so much time together now that he's able to distinguish his strong profile and curly hair easily. And the fact that Sakusa's wearing a pair of gloves, which nobody else does.</p><p>Sakusa being at this grocery store in particular isn't that surprising because it's a pretty big chain store with wide aisles and affordable prices, but he doesn't know why he's here now when he's supposed to be at practice with the team.</p><p>Atsumu's about to call out his name obnoxiously just to annoy him but what he sees stops him in his tracks.</p><p>Sakusa's never been one to be vocal about his personal life and Atsumu isn’t one to jump to conclusions so he observes as Ushijima Wakatoshi of the Schweiden Adlers curls his hand on one of Sakusa's shoulders, which to anyone else would look casual but Atsumu knows Sakusa and knows that Sakusa doesn't let anyone touch him.</p><p>Atsumu feels something inside of him wither and feeling like he's looking at something he isn't meant to see, he turns around and walks away quickly, hoping that neither of them noticed him. He didn’t even know they knew each other at all!</p><p>He wants to abandon the rest of his grocery list but he stops in an empty aisle and asks himself why he's acting this way -- irrational -- because it makes no sense.</p><p>He might've flirted with Sakusa a little, but then again he flirts with basically everyone and he does it because it's fun, not because he's actually interested in them. He's not interested in Sakusa, of all people.</p><p>He scoffs quietly to himself. He just likes annoying him because Sakusa can be as mean as him too, sometimes even meaner. And Atsumu prides himself in getting Sakusa to react outside of his usual grouchiness, like when Atsumu makes him blush or smile. It doesn't mean anything.</p><p>I think I'm just kinda hurt 'cause I've just realised that we don't know much about each other outside of volleyball, Atsumu rationalises but then it leads him to feeling like a complete douchebag because he's not entitled to feel this way when they don't owe each other anything. It's not Sakusa's fault that Atsumu expected more from him and their friendship.</p><p>Atsumu breathes a sigh of relief when he doesn't see them again while getting his remaining groceries.</p><hr/><p>By the time he steps into the building to meet Sakusa for practice, he has more or less buried the incident in the deepest parts of his mind where it's become irrelevant to him. Because knowing that Sakusa lets Ushijima touch him is irrelevant information that has nothing to do with him.</p><p>"Today was my last day on set, Omi-kun," Atsumu says by way of greeting.</p><p>"Good for you, Miya," Sakusa says dryly.</p><p>They warm up together silently and Atsumu knows that he's being less talkative than usual. He just finds it difficult to get out of his head at the moment and he can sense Sakusa scrutinising him from his peripheral.</p><p>Atsumu's favourite place is probably on the court because it clears his mind of everything else and he's able to fully immerse himself in getting in tune with the best version of himself, in terms of being a volleyball player.</p><p>He holds the ball in his palms and feels the weight of it ground him to the present, then he tosses it to Sakusa.</p><p>"Gimme yer best shot," Atsumu tells him.</p><p>"I always do," Sakusa retorts.</p><p>Atsumu feels weightless and yet in total control of his body when he's in the zone. It's a heady feeling that he has never gotten used to and one that he can never get enough of. The practice ends with him sweaty and panting hard, the soreness in his muscles feels rewarding and the redness of his palms is evidence of his hard work.</p><p>He braces his hands on his knees, sweat dripping down the tips of his hair and nose onto the hardwood floors.</p><p>"Fuck," he gasps while breathing harshly. He thinks this is the hardest he has pushed himself during practice so far.</p><p>On the other side of the court, Sakusa is in a similar position and their eyes meet through the net.</p><p>"What the fuck."</p><p>Atsumu chuckles tiredly and wipes away his sweat with the towel around his neck. "I know."</p><p>They cool down and move on to the showers. They get changed in silence because they're too tired to make conversation. It's only when they're seated at their table at Miya Onigiri does Sakusa say something.</p><p>"Miya," his voice is hard but quiet and Atsumu's dazed gaze focuses on the familiar shade of darkness of his eyes.</p><p>"Hm, yeah?"</p><p>"The way you played today," Sakusa trails off and it causes Atsumu to lean forward because it's uncharacteristic of Sakusa to not know what to say.</p><p>"What?" Atsumu prompts.</p><p>"It was different."</p><p>"Is that good or bad?"</p><p>"It was good. If you keep this up, I think there's a very high chance of you making the team," Sakusa states matter of factly.</p><p>Atsumu brightens and he can't keep the excitement from his voice. "Ya really think so?"</p><p>Sakusa nods. "Yes, but only if you're on this level or better during the tryouts."</p><p>"I'm pretty much unemployed right now, so I've got all the time 'til the tryouts to strengthen an' improve myself."</p><p>"Okay. Don't be surprised if Bokuto-san and Hinata-kun show up too. They were bothering me for our practice times the other day."</p><p>"Omi-kun!" Atsumu exclaims. "Why wouldn't ya just tell them? The more, the merrier ya know," he pauses and smirks. "Or do ya wanna keep me all to yerself? Is that yer plan all along, Omi-kun?"</p><p>Sakusa rewards him with his usual scowl. "Fine. I'll bring them along next time."</p><p>"Heh, this is gonna be fun." Atsumu likes practicing with Sakusa alone but he's not that big of an idiot to not realise how much more he can improve himself when Hinata and Bokuto are there as well, because like Sakusa, they're probably a couple of the best players in the v.league.</p><hr/><p>Hinata and Bokuto show up exactly three times before the tryouts and it's more than enough for Atsumu to determine their strengths and weaknesses in order to give them the best tosses specially catered for them. Atsumu's aware that being a great setter means that he can empower his teammates by making them feel as if they've also improved their spikes with his tosses.</p><p>He goes for a run every morning to build up his stamina and takes his diet more seriously, which means he mostly eats home cooked meals, limiting the number of times he shares a meal with Sakusa at a restaurant to once a week. He sleeps enough and not too late and he takes care not to push himself too hard during practice to avoid any injuries.</p><p>The day of the tryouts arrives and he's feeling calm and collected, and most importantly confident and in control of himself. He has no reason to feel anxious because he's trained for months just for this moment.</p><p>The head coach introduces himself and so do the team captain Meian Shuugo and Oikawa, explaining that they'll be the ones judging their skills and abilities on the court today. Oikawa oozes an easy sense of charisma and confidence that would intimidate him if Atsumu were feeling more unsure of himself.</p><p>The candidates are asked to line up and they go through drills for the first half of the morning before they are told to demonstrate their individual skills. He's somewhere along the middle of the line and he observes that many players who were setters have decided to join today, as expected after the announcement of Oikawa's transfer.</p><p>Atsumu introduces himself and says he used to be a setter in high school. He gets onto the court and does what he does best, no hesitation. This first round of elimination takes place here and Atsumu's relieved that he still has a chance to prove himself.</p><p>After lunch, tryouts resume and they're asked to line up according to the position they used to play. Atsumu's one of three setters left and he is grouped with five other people of different positions, forming a team, which means that each of them get to show off their individual skills while keeping their communication and teamwork skills in check.</p><p>Atsumu introduces himself again and gets to know his teammates better before the practice match begins. He doesn't look like it but he likes to observe people and he has good memory so he's able to remember his teammates' strengths and weaknesses from the exercises before lunch. But he has no choice but to determine their physical and mental condition only when they start playing in order to cater his tosses to them.</p><p>His team plays a set against the two other teams and they end up winning both. He doesn't know how they're being judged here but he hopes that their wins are more than enough to secure him a spot on the team.</p><p>By the end of the day, Coach Foster announces that they've come to a decision and he starts calling out names. Whether the names are those accepted or rejected, he doesn't know but he hopes that he ends up in the former.</p><p>Please. Please let it be enough.</p><p>His name doesn't get called and he remains at the back. He's starting to feel the back of his head heat up because the suspense is killing him and he really fuckin' hopes he got in.</p><p>Coach Foster clears his throat and says, "Alright, all. Those in the front, I'm sorry to say but better luck next time. Thank you for your time and you may leave the court."</p><p>It takes a moment but Atsumu feels his entire body relax and there's a collective sigh of relief from the people beside him. What the fuck what the fuck! I got in!</p><p>His body thrums in happiness and excitement because he can't believe it, because even though he was confident in himself there was still a slim chance that he wasn't good enough for the team.</p><p>When the sound of footsteps start retreating, Coach Foster turns his attention to them, looking at each of their faces before speaking. "Congratulations for making the cut. You've displayed exceptional performance today and I'm sure you'll be a great addition to the team," he pauses. "Thank you for joining us and I'll see you all bright and early for practice next week. Have a good weekend ahead."</p><p>The coach gestures for Meian to take over and the captain starts talking about the more administrative side of their employment and tells them to head over to the human resources department after practice next week, where they'll be able to sign their contracts and whatever else that needs signing.</p><p>All throughout, Atsumu can feel Oikawa staring at him and even though he has a pretty good idea why, it still makes him a little uncomfortable. He has a good poker face though, so he's sure that Oikawa thinks that he isn't affected at all by him.</p><p>Meian finishes speaking and dismisses the rest of them but Atsumu, telling him that there's an important matter they have to discuss. Um, okay.</p><p>Coach Foster is the first to speak. "Atsumu, I'll be frank. I'm sure you know that Oikawa's transferring to the CA San Juan team in Argentina before the season starts."</p><p>Atsumu nods. "Yes, coach."</p><p>"Which means that we'll need someone to replace him, someone as good or even better than Oikawa." Oh fuck. Is this what I think it is?</p><p>Atsumu doesn't want to get his hopes up but holy shit. He tries hard to keep his poker face in place. Coach Foster continues, "And based on what we've seen today, the three of us have agreed that you're the most suitable person to be the starting setter of the MSBY Black Jackals, there's no doubt about it. So what do you say?"</p><p>Atsumu feels his heart thundering in his ears and he's surprised that he manages to say normally, "I accept your offer. Thank you for giving me this opportunity." He bows deeply at them. "I'll do my best for this team."</p><p>He straightens and finds the coach and Meian smiling at him encouragingly. Coach Foster claps him on his shoulder. "Good decision, Atsumu. I'm glad to have you onboard."</p><p>He turns to Oikawa and asks, "Oikawa, do you have anything to say to Atsumu?"</p><p>Oikawa's small smile breaks out into a genuine grin and he says, "I hate to admit it but you're almost as good as I am, so I'm not that concerned about you being the new starting setter. And don't worry about the team, you're gonna fit right in with them." His voice suggests that he's referring to something only the both of them know and Atsumu thinks it's the fact that he has practiced with three of the members.</p><p>Meian rolls his eyes at Oikawa as Atsumu says, "Ah, thanks Oikawa-san."</p><p>"Okay, I'm sure you're tired after a full day of work. Heck, I think we all are." Coach Foster chuckles and Meian continues, "Yes, so we'll see you next week. Have a good rest, Atsumu."</p><p>He bows at them again as they leave. "Thank you again." He's left alone in the room and he finally lets his legs give out under him because they're shaking from exhaustion but mostly adrenaline.</p><p>He still can't believe that actually happened and he pinches the inside of his thigh to make sure he isn't dreaming. "Ow!" He yelps in pain and rubs over it, then he starts laughing because he's just so fuckin' thrilled that he got in! And he's the new starting setter!</p><p>"Ah, this is insane." He can't wait to tell Sakusa that he's made it.</p><p>"Atsumu-san!"</p><p>"Tsum-tsum!"</p><p>He turns around to see Hinata and Bokuto rushing at him with huge smiles on their faces.</p><p>He beams right back at them. "Shou-chan! Bokkun!"</p><p>He doesn't bother getting up from the floor and they pile on him, hugging and congratulating him loudly. Their energy is infectious and he doesn't ask them to get off of him even though they're kinda heavy, because once the adrenaline has left his body he suddenly feels drained.</p><p>No, someone else does it for him. "Hey, get up. You're killing him there."</p><p>Atsumu turns his head to the side and the first thing he sees is Sakusa's shoes, trailing up to rest at his face. "Congratulations, Miya."</p><p>Atsumu's entire body feels warm, probably because there are two adult males on him but also because even though he can't see the bottom half of Sakusa's face, he knows that he's smiling at him.</p><p>"Thanks, Omi-kun."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank u for all the love so far!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Atsumu gets used to practicing with a complete team instead of just a few of its members in no time and he's thankful that they've welcomed him with open arms. While Oikawa's still with the team, he and Atsumu take turns being the starting setter during practice, allowing them to observe the differences in their techniques. Oikawa even gives him advice on how to improve some of his tosses, aside from taunting him occasionally.</p><p>Atsumu spends more time with Sakusa in general because they now share the same schedule but he also spends less time with him individually outside of practice because his other team members want to get to know him better and it's typical of Sakusa to not join in their group activities.</p><p>But by the end of the second week of practice, Atsumu declines their invitations to a night out in the city with the excuse that he's already made plans. The only plan he has in mind is to seek Sakusa out for dinner at Miya Onigiri, so that's what he does after showering and changing into clean clothes.</p><p>Sakusa, Hinata and Bokuto all live in the same condominium complex that's been sponsored for by the team management and Atsumu's actually considering putting his current place up for rent and staying there instead, since it's much closer to the training center. And he thinks it'll be fun to have his friends close by.</p><p>Atsumu didn't have to ask anyone which unit belongs to Sakusa because Hinata had told him the previous week, when he had invited Atsumu over to his own unit, and Atsumu had remembered it ever since.</p><p>He stops outside of Sakusa's unit and checks his phone again. Sakusa still hasn't replied to him regarding dinner and he considers waiting for a reply but he figures that if Sakusa's opens the door just to tell him that he's busy, then that's fine too. He'll just eat alone. So he rings the doorbell once and waits.</p><p>And waits.</p><p>He hasn't received any messages from Sakusa and he rings the doorbell again.</p><p>Nobody comes to the door and Atsumu's starting to get slightly annoyed and worried. He raps his knuckles on the door and calls out, "Omi-kun! Are ya home?"</p><p>Nothing. It's silent behind the door and Atsumu shoots him another text message.</p><p> </p><p>Omi-omi 🌟</p><p> </p><p>omi-kun wanna hv dinner w me</p><p>at samu's restaurant tonight?</p><p>are u home rn???</p><p>bc i'm at ur front door lol</p><p> </p><p>He feels his mood plummet when he waits for another 15 minutes and nothing about his current situation changes. He hopes that Sakusa's alright, wherever he is and that he's just forgotten to charge his phone, which would explain why he's not replying to any of his messages.</p><p>With one last look at the door, he sighs heavily and starts walking towards the elevators, resigning himself to a dinner for one because he doesn't feel like joining the others at such late notice. Because they'll probably assume that his plans got cancelled and they'll take pity on him, feeding him with increasing amounts of alcohol as the night passes by. And the last thing he wants to do is get wasted on an empty stomach, because that's just asking for a nasty hangover.</p><p>Atsumu finishes his meal at Miya Onigiri before his phone chimes. It's a message from Sakusa.</p><p> </p><p>Omi-omi 🌟</p><p> </p><p>Sorry, Miya. I wasn't at home.</p><p> </p><p>it's ok. next time then!!</p><p> </p><p>Well, next time he'll make sure to ask Sakusa right after practice ends so that he won't have to wait around for a straight and quick answer. Atsumu forces the lump of disappointment down his throat. It reminds him of the time before he and Sakusa got to know each other better. It reminds him of an arm curled around Sakusa's shoulders and his disappointment sits heavy in his gut, weighing him down. It reminds him of the guilt he felt for being mad at Sakusa and how absurd it was for him to feel that way at all.</p><p>On second thought, the idea of drinking with his friends sounds really appealing right about now. He ignores Osamu's worried looks and calls Hinata to ask if they're still in the city.</p><p>"HELLO?" Atsumu pulls the phone away from his ear too late and he grimaces at the loudness of Hinata's voice.</p><p>"Shou-chan! Where are ya?" He can hear the bass, loud in the background and assumes that Hinata's in a club or something of the sort.</p><p>"WHAT? TSUMU-SAN?"</p><p>"Oh, for fuck's sake," he mutters to himself and quickly pays for his meal before exiting the restaurant so that he can properly yell into his phone.</p><p>"WHERE ARE YA?"</p><p>What he doesn't know is that Hinata has moved to a quieter area while he was paying for his meal and it's only after he yells his question that he realises the lack of a booming bass in the background.</p><p>"Ack! That's way too loud, Atsumu-san," Hinata's words are still coherent, which means that they still have a long night to go.</p><p>"Oh, sorry Shou-chan. But yeah, where are ya? I wanna join in the party."</p><p>He'll probably hate himself when he wakes up the next morning in either Bokuto's or Hinata's living room but at least he'll be able to drown out the bitter disappointment in his stomach.</p>
<hr/><p>Atsumu realises he has a problem over the weekend. The last time he got drunk because he was upset was.. never. And the fact that he knew that it was a bad idea to drink his feelings away but he still did it is worrying, to say the least. He’s a professional volleyball player, dammit! He’s supposed to have complete control of himself, which means that he isn’t supposed to lose his mind over having dinner alone.</p><p>Sakusa having some other plans before Atsumu texted him and asked him out to dinner is supposed to be a non-issue so he doesn’t understand why he got so worked up over it and had to pay for his stupid decision by nursing a hangover the entirety of Saturday.</p><p>So Atsumu does what any twenty-something does when they’re desperate for answers: he searches Google for them.</p><p>The first thing he types in the search bar is ‘is it normal to feel sad when being ignored’ and after spending the entire afternoon reading through websites and articles, he comes to a conclusion which is that he’s actually pretty lonely and as a result, he had projected his loneliness onto Sakusa, thinking that Sakusa was responsible for him and it was unfair of him to do that.</p><p>He feels a little shitty now, well if he’s being honest, he feels shittier after reading everything. He thought that coming back to volleyball would make him the happiest person alive, and he <em>is</em> happy and he feels like he has found one of the purposes in his life, but there are still moments where he feels a little empty. And having literally everyone else around him being in a relationship also makes him feel as if he’s somehow inadequate, like they’re all moving onto a different stage in their lives and he’s just <em>there</em>, all by himself.</p><p>It’s not any of their fault that he’s feeling this way, he knows. He has been in a few relationships in the past but they were nothing too serious and none lasted very long. It isn’t that he’s a terrible lover or anything like that, but he’s been told by previous partners that he doesn’t let them get closer to him or that he prefers practicing playing volleyball instead of spending time with them and doing things like going on dates.</p><p>The latter he’ll admit to and he doesn’t have any regrets about his past relationships because he knows that he wouldn’t do anything differently. But the former.. It’s not that he doesn’t want people to get to know him better but he doesn’t like the idea of being vulnerable. He muses, he’s lamenting the fact that he gets lonely too but he doesn’t want to put in the effort to open up himself to others.</p><p>And since he can’t seem to find a solution to his problem, he decides that it’s no longer a problem until something else comes up and forces him to deal with it. He knows that he’s being irresponsible and a little unhealthy by denying it, but moping around and feeling bad for himself just isn’t his style. He would rather distract himself with volleyball because then at least he’ll be doing something productive.. which is precisely why he’s at the practice center as the sun sets outside.</p><p>It’s empty, because no one else would be here on a Sunday evening.</p><p>“Okay, let’s get started,” he tells himself.</p><p>He plays and practices until he loses all thoughts about his predicament, until he forgets that he has ever felt lonely before. Because at the end of the day, even when he has no one, he still has himself and as long as he doesn’t lose himself, everything will be fine.</p><p>He collapses onto the bench and towels off as much sweat as possible, his muscles burning and his breathing harsh. He checks his phone and sees no new notifications and he expected it but still, he sighs loudly before shaking his head so as to get rid of any negative thoughts before they could latch on.</p><p>“So what. So what if no one texts me, it’s not their responsibility to look after me,” Atsumu resolutely tells himself. He continues talking to himself. “And so what if I’m single? That’s nothin’ to be ashamed of! I shouldn’t derive my self-worth from other people in the first place.”</p><p>He starts nodding his head, slowly coming to a decision. From this moment onwards, he has no thoughts about being in a relationship with someone because if he really thinks about it, he has never been ecstatic in any of his past relationships and rather, he felt like he got into those relationships because everyone else around him was doing that exact thing, so he felt pressured as well. In the end, he hadn’t been as committed and chose to break it off. He’s not about to make that same mistake again.</p><p>“Miya?”</p><p>Atsumu startles and almost drops the water bottle in his hand. He lifts his head and meets Sakusa’s eyes that are currently staring at him, his eyebrows furrowed. </p><p>“Omi-kun? What are ya doin’ here?” Atsumu sounds just as confused as he looks.</p><p>“I was walking home from the grocery store,” Atsumu notices the large bags that are gripped in Sakusa’s hands. “I noticed that the lights were turned on and thought someone had forgotten to turn it off so I came in to do it myself if that was the case,” he pauses. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”</p><p><em>What a responsible citizen</em>, Atsumu thinks in amusement. He lightly shrugs and clears his throat. “I got bored doin’ nothin’ at home so I thought I’d get some practice in.”</p><p>“Really,” Sakusa says without expression, something discernible in his eyes.</p><p>There’s a momentary silence as Atsumu tries to figure out what he means by that and eventually says, “Yeah. I’ll leave in a bit and I promise I’ll turn off the lights so ya can go home now.” Atsumu resumes wiping off his sweat again.</p><p>“No,” Sakusa says, surprisingly stern. “I’m not leaving until you do, so come on. Let’s go.”</p><p>He sputters, feeling flabbergasted by Sakusa’s words, “What? Why?”</p><p>Atsumu throws up his arms and sighs in exasperation when Sakusa doesn’t say anything and just stands there with an unwavering stare. “Fine,” he says petulantly. “Just let me cool down some more.”</p><p>Then Atsumu cleans up the court and packs up his things, Sakusa watching him all the while. He opts out of showering there, deciding to shower at home, and they walk out the building into the silent night.</p><p>They walk in the direction of Sakusa’s condominium complex and Atsumu thinks it’s actually funny how the day turned out. He thought that he was lonely and that everyone was moving ahead of him but then Sakusa showed up -- granted, it was a coincidence but whatever -- and forced them to leave together. Atsumu wants to laugh at how dramatic he was being this afternoon and accidentally snickers, causing Sakusa to glance at him with an eyebrow raised. Atsumu just shakes his head and they continue in silence.</p><p>“Omi-kun,” he pauses as he searches for the right words. “Thanks for bein’ a good friend to me.”</p><p>Sakusa’s steps seem to falter before he resumes walking normally. “I didn’t really do anything but. You’re welcome.”</p><p>Then Atsumu’s stomach rumbles loudly, effectively breaking whatever’s left of the silence between them.</p><p>“Oh, um. I forgot to eat,” Atsumu smiles sheepishly at Sakusa who rolls his eyes.</p><p>Sakusa makes a <em>tch</em> sound. “Typical of you.”</p><p>Atsumu has his phone out to order a taxi home but Sakusa’s next words stop him, his finger hovering over the lit screen and gaping at Sakusa. “Do you wanna come over? I’ll cook something for you, since it’s apparent that you can’t take care of yourself.”</p><p>“Really, Omi-omi?”</p><p>“Don’t make me repeat myself, dumbass.”</p><p>Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Atsumu cheerfully accepts his offer. When they arrive at Sakusa’s front door, Sakusa tells him to stay outside for a moment. He comes back with a new pair of disposable indoor slippers and a plastic basket, instructing Atsumu to remove his shoes and socks before wearing the slippers inside and to put his bag into the basket.</p><p>“Don’t touch anything,” he warns as he steers Atsumu to the bathroom.</p><p>“Okay, did you bring any clean clothes in your bag?” Sakusa asks once Atsumu is standing in the middle of the bathroom.</p><p>“Yeah.” He unzips his bag in the basket and takes out his underwear, t-shirt and sweatpants, hanging them up on one of the steel racks.</p><p>“Do you have a towel?”</p><p>“Right here.” He hangs it beside his clothes.</p><p>Sakusa nods. “Okay, you have a bag for your dirty clothes, don’t you?”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>“Feel free to use anything of mine. Don’t come out unless you’re clean as fuck.” Sakusa narrows his eyes at Atsumu like it’s a silent threat and leaves the bathroom with a fluffy towel still in his arms, the door shutting with a soft <em>click</em>.</p><p>Atsumu washes away all the dirt and grime of the day. He has a small bottle of his own shampoo and body wash but he chooses to use Sakusa’s instead, which are both minty and smell like cherry blossoms and oranges, based on their respective labels. He likes them and thinks that he might switch over brands in the near future.</p><p>Once he’s absolutely sure that he’s clean as fuck, he steps out of the shower and dries himself before putting on his clothes. He notes that Sakusa’s bathroom is spotless, unlike the one he has been in at Hinata’s place. Everything has its own place; extra rolls of toilet paper and unopened packs of toothbrushes and mouthwash and a full-sized first-aid kit are on the top shelf in the cabinet below the sink, and cleaning supplies take up the entire bottom shelf.</p><p>He turns off the light when leaving the bathroom and he walks into the living room that has been partitioned off from the kitchen, which is different from what he’s seen at Hinata’s unit where it’s an open floor plan. The living room looks like any standard living room with a sofa, a coffee table and a wall-mounted television. It doesn’t look as if Sakusa made any effort to decorate it.</p><p>He moves to the kitchen where Sakusa’s busy cooking an actual meal instead of just making him instant noodles, which makes Atsumu feel kind of emotional because no one but his mother and Osamu have cooked for him.</p><p>“Hey, Omi-omi. May I help with anythin’?” Osamu and his mother are alike, in the way that they hate when someone tries to help them in the kitchen and Atsumu’s curious if Sakusa’s similar.</p><p>Sakusa glances at him. “That depends. Are you gonna make a mess?”</p><p>“Hey! I can cook, alright,” he grumbles, feeling a little insulted that Sakusa’s treating him like a kid.</p><p>“Heh, sure. I’ll believe it when I see it.” Sakusa smirks and Atsumu rolls his eyes. “Well, I’m almost done here, so the only you can help with is setting the table.”</p><p>Sakusa tells him where the plates and utensils are kept and he arranges them neatly on the table so that they sit opposite each other during the meal.</p><p>“Thank you for the meal,” he says to Sakusa before digging in the simple but delicious and filling meal consisting of white rice and Japanese curry. Atsumu praises Sakusa’s cooking skills and is met with small fond smiles that boost his mood. It’s nice eating like this and he feels warm all over. </p><p>He offers to wash the dishes because Sakusa cooked so it’s only fair if he does the dishes but all Sakusa says is, “No. I’m not gonna let you mess up my cleaning process.”</p><p>“Aw, c’mon Omi-kun. Let me do somethin’, please?”</p><p>“Fine, you rinse.”</p><p>There’s a double sink, which would be large for one person but as they’re both professional athletes, it means they’re quite built and broad, so standing side by side proves to be a rather tight fit. Atsumu tries to make himself smaller because he knows that Sakusa doesn’t like it when people touch him but Sakusa pauses scrubbing a plate and looks at him.</p><p>“What are you doing?”</p><p>“Uh. Well, you don’t like it people touch ya, do ya? An’ we’re standin’ pretty close to each other right now.”</p><p>The corners of Sakusa’s mouth start twitching, like he’s trying to stop himself from smiling, which only makes Atsumu feel bemused.</p><p>“What’d I say?”</p><p>Sakusa shakes his head and turns away, but not before Atsumu catches him smiling. “Nothing. It’s fine, Miya. I won't combust into flames if you accidentally touch me. I know you’re clean.”</p><p>“Oh. Okay.”</p><p>The top of their arms occasionally brush and while Sakusa doesn’t react, Atsumu feels as if he’s going insane because he didn’t know that Sakusa’s skin was so soft and smooth. And if Atsumu takes a deep enough breath through his nose, he can barely smell the clean scent of Sakusa’s t-shirt and the cherry blossoms-scented shampoo that he used. The combination of scents is oddly comforting and it reminds him of spring nights.</p><p>It’s nearly midnight when they’re done and Atsumu doesn’t want to impose on Sakusa any longer and he remembers too late that they need to get up early for practice tomorrow morning. Sakusa sends him to the door and with his bag on his shoulder, Atsumu thanks him once again for, well, a lot.</p><p>Sakusa shrugs casually and says softly, “What are good friends for, right Miya?”</p><p>Atsumu feels a shiver go up his spine as Sakusa’s dark and warm eyes regard him silently. “Right. G’night, Omi-kun.”</p><p>Atsumu goes home and can’t fall asleep because every time he shuts his eyes, all he sees is Sakusa and the way he looked at Atsumu as they bid each other goodnight.</p>
<hr/><p>Within the next two weeks, Atsumu fully makes himself a home in a condominium unit on the same floor that’s shared by the MSBY team members because he didn’t like having to commute so far from his old apartment. Osamu, Hinata and Bokuto helped him to move his stuff and furniture one weekend and he had treated them to dinner after as a gesture of gratitude. It’s smaller than his old unit but honestly, he doesn’t even need that much space because he’s living by himself and he’s too lazy to host parties or gatherings anyway.</p><p>Since they all live in the same complex now, he meets up with his teammates in the hallway and they all make their way to the training center together and on most days, they would also walk back together. In a way, it makes Atsumu feel as if he’s in high school again because back then, he would always stay back after school to practice with Osamu and Aran and the three of them would walk home together in the late evenings, munching on steamed buns to fill up their empty stomachs. He and Osamu would always argue over the pettiest things and Aran got so used to them that he would just sigh and roll his eyes as he walked beside them, or sometimes he would even get so fed up that he’d yell at the twins. Those were really good memories that Atsumu will always cling on to.</p><p>The dynamics between him and his current teammates are similar but different from what he, Osamu and Aran shared. Hinata and Bokuto are friendly and boisterous and they are always nice to Atsumu, which means that the three of them frequently converse on the way home. Sakusa’s quieter and usually only speaks when he’s spoken to, not because he’s shy but because he just doesn’t want to say anything. </p><p>But this also means that Atsumu has noticed that Sakusa’s usually more talkative when it’s just the both of them walking and even though Atsumu knows that it’s probably because he and Sakusa like to make jabs at each other in good fun, it’s still a nice feeling.</p><p>Outside of practice, Atsumu doesn't do much else but hang out with his friends and with them all living doors away from each other, they frequently have meals together because it's more fun and chaotic that way because they usually play some games after dinner. If Hinata’s hosting dinner that night, then they’ll make use of his gaming consoles that were gifted to him by a close friend named Kozume Kenma, who’s some sort of entrepreneur, according to Atsumu’s knowledge. Or if Bokuto’s the host, then they’ll bring out the board games, Monopoly being their favourite because everyone wants to win.</p><p>Besides that one time that Sakusa invited Atsumu over to dinner, Sakusa doesn’t open his doors to any one of them and none of them are particularly surprised by this, until Hinata and Bokuto happen to find out that Atsumu’s been inside Sakusa’s house.</p><p>“Whaaaa--?” Hinata exclaims and leans forward to peer closely at Atsumu.</p><p>“Hm, but are you sure that it was <em>his</em> unit and not anyone else’s?” Bokuto questions, causing Atsumu to look at him with a flat expression.</p><p>“That makes <em>no</em> sense at all, Bokkun.”</p><p>“But Omi-san has never invited us over and we’ve known him longer,” Hinata cups his chin with a hand, seeming to be thinking hard about something.</p><p>“That’s right!” Bokuto joins Hinata in contemplating why Sakusa would invite Atsumu over and not them.</p><p>Atsumu doesn’t really know what to tell them. It’s not like he can say, “Maybe he felt sorry for me?” because that doesn’t sound convincing and he’s not keen on letting them know that he was practicing alone on a Sunday lest he wants them to start asking why, so he shrugs and says nonchalantly, “In any case, the layout of our places is pretty much the same so I dunno, just imagine a much cleaner version of yer own condo unit.”</p><p>The next day at practice, Hinata and Bokuto start pestering Sakusa to invite them over for dinner, telling him that it’s unfair that Atsumu got an invite before them and promising that they won’t make any messes. Sakusa glares at Atsumu the entire time because this wouldn’t have happened if Atsumu didn’t say anything, but at the end of the day Sakusa just tells Hinata and Bokuto that he’ll think about it, leaving them feeling pleased with themselves.</p><p>Then, it’s time for the team to say goodbye to Oikawa.</p><p>Oikawa’s farewell party takes place at a swanky hotel in the city, courtesy of the team sponsors. It’s a private and exclusive event but even so, Atsumu doesn’t recognise half of the people in attendance and surmises that they’re either part of management or the sponsors for the night.</p><p>He’s in a nice tailored black suit that was given to him by the designer herself. It fits a little more snugly now that he has gained more muscles, but he still feels comfortable in it. He arrived alone this evening and notices that some of his teammates brought along their partners. </p><p>Hinata brought Kageyama, who looks quite bored beside him; Bokuto’s arm is linked with Akaashi’s, both of them having a lively conversation with Oikawa and his boyfriend, Iwaizumi Hajime who’s apparently an athletic trainer; Meian, Oliver Barnes and Coach Foster converse in a group, their wives talking to each other to the side. Inunaki Shion and Adriah Tomas are by the open bar, challenging each other to down as many shots as possible until Meian inevitably notices and pulls them away, as expected of them.</p><p>After looking around for a few more moments, Atsumu concludes that Sakusa isn’t in the room and guesses that he’s running late or not showing up at all. None of them knows whether he’s attending the dinner or not but he hopes it’s the former.</p><p>Atsumu mingles around and introduces himself to his teammates’ partners and they’re all relatively nice people, except when Atsumu was speaking with Hinata, Kageyama kept looking at him like he smelled something bad, even though Atsumu’s sure that he smells perfectly fine. But Hinata didn’t act out of the ordinary so it was probably Kageyama’s resting bitch face. Or if Kageyama has something against Atsumu, it wouldn’t be the first time because Atsumu seems to have an uncanny ability of pressing the right buttons to piss people off.</p><p>It’s a buffet-style dinner so anyone who’s hungry can just go ahead and have their meals first without having to wait for everyone else but once someone starts piling on their plate, the rest will follow suit. Predictably, it’s Hinata and Kageyama who start their first round at the buffet and it looks as if they have made it into a competition of who can eat the most and fastest and the way they stuff food into their mouths is outrageous enough to make any onlooker feel slightly awed and queasy.</p><p>“You guys…” Meian shakes his head at Hinata and Kageyama and sighs before walking to the table beside theirs. Yeah, Atsumu wouldn’t know what to say either.</p><p>Hinata’s eyes light up when they spot something behind Atsumu and he swallows his food with some difficulty before standing up and waving his arms above his head, yelling, “Omi-san! We’re here! Come sit with us!”</p><p>Atsumu turns around and feels his breath catch in his throat, his mind blanking.</p><p>All he can do is stare at Sakusa who’s a vision in his fitting navy suit. Sakusa took the effort to properly style his hair so that it hangs in neat waves. The jacket hugs his wide shoulders and the crisp white shirt underneath emphasises his small waist and shows the slight definition of his pectoral muscles. His long legs look impossibly longer and the outfit is completed by a pair of shiny oxford shoes.</p><p><em>What the fuck why does he look so good</em>.</p><p>Sakusa makes his way over to them and reaches for the chair closest to him which happens to be beside Atsumu.</p><p>"Hey. Sorry I'm late," Sakusa greets them as he sits.</p><p>"Hey, hey, hey! No worries! As long as you're here!" Bokuto replies cheerily.</p><p>"Yeah, Omi-san! You arrived just in time for dinner too!" Hinata chimes in.</p><p>Sakusa looks over at the buffet tables and he clears his throat lightly. "Is that so."</p><p>No one else but Atsumu can see the way Sakusa's fingers curls around a small pouch in his lap and Atsumu realises with a small jolt that Sakusa wouldn't feel comfortable holding onto the serving utensils that everyone else has touched before. Atsumu wonders if Sakusa brought any gloves with him in that pouch before saying loudly, "C'mon, Omi-kun. Let's go get some food."</p><p>Sakusa leaves his pouch on the chair. <em>So he doesn't have gloves</em>, Atsumu thinks as they walk to the buffet tables.</p><p>"Omi-kun," Atsumu says quietly and Sakusa's gaze lands on him while picking up a fresh plate.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Atsumu doesn't know how to say it without sounding like a presumptuous asshole but he figures that he doesn't have anything to lose. "D'ya need help with, ya know, putting food on yer plate?"</p><p>Surprise flickers over Sakusa's expression before and Atsumu continues, "I know ya don't like touchin' things with other people's germs on it and since yer not wearin' any gloves, I thought I could help ya. If ya wanted, that is."</p><p>There's an odd expression on Sakusa's face, like he's in the middle of figuring out a difficult math question and Atsumu doesn't exactly expect Sakusa to accept his offer because he knows that Sakusa isn't the type of person that likes to ask for help and would probably choose the hard way of doing things.</p><p>But Sakusa says, "Sure, Miya. Thank you."</p><p>Atsumu and Sakusa walk around together, looking at all the different types of food on display and whenever Sakusa wants something, he tells Atsumu and Atsumu helps him to scoop however much he wants.</p><p>Atsumu finds out what's in that pouch when Sakusa unzips it to bring out a bottle of hand sanitizer and he sees that there's also a packet of tissue and antibacterial wipes, which Sakusa uses to wipe the set of cutlery laid out in front of him. He doesn't know why Sakusa's using a pouch when they have pockets.</p><p>Atsumu and Sakusa repeat this several more times as the evening progresses, keeping up with their teammates who seem to have bottomless appetites. No one pays much attention to them because they're all too busy deciding on what to eat next and even if they notice Atsumu helping Sakusa, they don't comment on it.</p><p>Conversations and laughter within their table flow like the alcohol that Inunaki and Adriah have been drinking: unending. The rest of them don't drink as much but when you put a group of young men together and copious amounts of alcohol, then there's bound to be some chaos. They're the loudest ones there but luckily, no one comes over to tell them to keep it down, probably expecting this to happen.</p><p>Atsumu isn't a lightweight and he drinks just enough that he feels buzzed, still able to function fully. Bokuto, on the other hand, only drank a glass of champagne and is now clinging to Akaashi who looks as if he's done this a million times before, patiently rubbing Bokuto's back while having a quiet conversation with Sakusa.</p><p>Hinata has an insane tolerance and has pulled Kageyama over to the next table to speak with Oikawa and Iwaizumi. Atsumu can't help but laugh at the slightly constipated expression on Kageyama's face.</p><p>"What's so funny?" Sakusa asks suddenly.</p><p>Atsumu turns to him, noticing that Akaashi and Sakusa have ended their conversation. "Nah, it's nothin'. Just Tobio-chan's face, I think he has a thing against Oikawa or somethin'. It's kinda funny."</p><p>"Hm, really?" Sakusa looks at the two couples at the next table, examining their body languages. After a while, Sakusa agrees with Atsumu's observation, "Yeah, looks like it. Oikawa looks rather smug about it too." Atsumu doesn't know about the history shared between the two but he can tell that Kageyama respects Oikawa as a fellow setter though.</p><p>Eventually, the party winds down and people start leaving until there's only Coach Foster and the MSBY team members and their partners left.</p><p>Meian says loudly, "Alright everyone, let's take a group photo to remember tonight. C'mon, hurry up so we can all go home!"</p><p>Oikawa stands in the middle of the group with Iwaizumi, Coach Foster and Meian while the rest of them arrange themselves so that everyone can fit into the photo. Some of them pose kneeling at the front and Atsumu stays close to Sakusa who chooses to stand at the end of the row so Atsumu ends up between Sakusa and Adriah. There's only a small space separating him and Sakusa so he can feel the warmth emanating from him.</p><p>Atsumu smiles, in part for the camera but mostly because it's a nice feeling, knowing that Sakusa doesn't mind standing so close to him.</p><p>One of the catering staff helps them to take several photos on Oikawa's phone and they retake a couple of shots because Oikawa isn't satisfied with how they turned out at first. When they're done, Oikawa promises to send the photos to the group chat so they can look at them.</p><p>One by one, the couples leave together in a taxi, Akaashi bringing Bokuto home to his place, Hinata choosing to stay the night with Kageyama and Inunaki and Adriah are bold enough to say that they're going clubbing even though they're drunk. Meian shuts down that idea like lightning and brings the two drunkards back to their condo units, his wife helping him.</p><p>Atsumu feels kind of sorry for Meian for having to deal with them but not sorry enough to volunteer himself.</p><p>"Goodnight, you two. Get back safely okay," Meian tells Atsumu and Sakusa before entering the taxi.</p><p>"Goodnight and we will," they say in unison before the car door shuts and the taxi drives off into the night, leaving them standing under the bright lights in front of the hotel lobby.</p><p>There's only a moment of silence before Sakusa says, "Miya."</p><p>"Yeah?" Atsumu glances at Sakusa to find him already looking at him, the lights creating shadows of his long eyelashes to make them look as if they're touching the tops of his cheeks.</p><p>"Do you think I look good tonight?" Sakusa's voice is low and warm.</p><p>Atsumu is so taken aback that he doesn't say anything, just staring at Sakusa like a fool. <em>What's goin' on?</em> </p><p>He feels the gears in his head moving again, remembering that Sakusa drank more than him tonight. The lights reflect off of Sakusa's high cheekbones but if he looks hard enough, he can see that they're slightly pink.</p><p><em>So he's drunk?</em> But apart from his pink cheeks, Sakusa looks sober.</p><p>"Yeah, ya look good tonight Omi-kun. Who knew ya could clean up so good, huh. I didn't even know ya had anythin' else but sweatpants and t-shirts."</p><p>Sakusa huffs a laugh and rolls his eyes. "Shut up. You don't look bad but I clearly look better than you."</p><p><em>Yeah, he's </em>definitely <em>drunk</em>, because sober Sakusa would never willingly compliment him. He kinda likes this more relaxed and open version of Sakusa who says sort of nice things about him.</p><p>"Sure, ya keep thinkin' that," Atsumu chuckles and opens the door of a taxi that just arrived, gesturing for Sakusa to get in. Normally, Sakusa hates using public transport and he would usually grumble and complain a bit about how dirty and gross it is, and would prefer to walk to most places, but he enters without any objections this time.</p><p>Atsumu slides in after him and they don't speak during the ride home. Sakusa has his head turned towards the window so Atsumu assumes that he's asleep. Atsumu uses his phone in the dark, going through his messages and reading his teammates' replies to Meian in the group chat that they've arrived home safely.</p><p>The taxi rolls to a stop in front of their condominium complex and Sakusa doesn't make a move to get out as Atsumu pays for the fare, thanking the driver for getting them to their destination.</p><p>"Omi-kun, wake up." Atsumu repeats this in increasing volume until Sakusa jolts awake.</p><p>"Oh." Sakusa grunts quietly as he pushes out of the backseat and Atsumu notices that he forgot to take his small pouch with him, so he snatches it up before slamming the door shut.</p><p>When Sakusa reaches his front door, he punches in his code to unlock the door and he steps in, quietly bidding Sakusa goodnight. It's only when Atsumu goes to remove his suit jacket that he realises he's still holding onto Sakusa's pouch.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>tbh this chapter was difficult for me to write bc it felt really forced lol i hope you enjoyed it somewhat tho!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Without Atsumu noticing, summer comes to an end and the number of days leading up to the start of the v.league season rapidly decreases. Atsumu also turns 23 on a typical Thursday.</p><p>The weekend before his birthday, he and Osamu take a day trip back home to have a celebratory meal with their parents. It's been a while since they've been home and their mother fusses over them like she always does, complaining that they've gotten skinnier and that they should eat more.</p><p>She cooks their favourite dishes and their father buys two slices of cake and a candle for each of them. It's comforting and familiar to come back home and Atsumu feels bad when he realises that he hasn't been contacting them as frequently, and he makes a promise to himself to be a more filial son. </p><p>The family of four catch up with each other during the meal and Atsumu realises sadly that they don't do this as often anymore. His mother makes extra food and puts them in containers for him and Osamu to bring back with them to the city before sending them off.</p><p>Atsumu receives a call from his parents on the morning of his birthday and they wish him a happy birthday and remind him to take good care of his health.</p><p>"Thanks, mum an' dad. Take care of yourselves too 'kay? I'll try my best to come home an' visit ya more often, or maybe ya can come to the city an' watch our matches."</p><p>"Aw, we would love for you to come back more but we understand if you're busy. No need to come to us if we can go to you," his mother tells him.</p><p>"That's right, the season's comin' up. If ya make it to the finals, we'll definitely go and support ya," his father says nonchalantly but Atsumu <em>wants</em> MSBY to be the champions this season too.</p><p>"I'll do my best to make ya proud."</p><p>"Oh, sweetheart. We're already so proud of you. As long as you're happy, then we're happy too." His mother's words are like a warm hug that lifts his spirits instantly.</p><p>"Thanks, I love ya both so much." Atsumu feels a rush of gratitude for his parents and their unending love and support for him.</p><p>When their call ends, he sends Osamu a text wishing him happy birthday. They've never been the type of siblings that verbally express feelings of love for each other and are more of the type that express it through their actions. Atsumu doesn't think he's ever told Osamu that he loves him but they're brothers and best friends and have always been there for each other, so he doesn't think those words are necessary between them.</p><p>Saeko also gives him a call to wish him a happy birthday.</p><p>"Are you free to have lunch today? It's my treat for the birthday boy."</p><p>"Yeah, I can do lunch!"</p><p>"Okay, great! I gotta run but just text me the details after you decide where you want to eat. See you later." Saeko hangs up before Atsumu has a chance to say goodbye and he hopes that her new client isn't giving her too much trouble. He'll hear about it soon enough.</p><p>Atsumu doesn't like making a big deal out of his birthday because he treats it like it's just another day to him so it's expected that his teammates don't know that it's his birthday. Practice goes on as usual and with Oikawa in CA San Juan, Atsumu is officially the new starting setter in MSBY.</p><p>It's exhilarating, feeling like the conductor of the team and knowing that his tosses give the illusion that they're easy to hit by his teammates gives him so much satisfaction.</p><p>He meets Saeko at the restaurant that she brought him to for his birthday last year because he was too lazy to think of another place and because he's craving for ramen. It's a small restaurant run by an elderly couple and the noodles are handmade, which is different from other restaurants that use the same processed stuff.</p><p>Saeko gives him a hug when she sees him. "Happy birthday, Atsumu! I can't believe you're all grown up now," she places a hand on her chest dramatically, clearly teasing him.</p><p>"Thanks, Saeko-chan. Heh, an' to think that it took me only 23 years. Guess I must be lucky."</p><p>"Oh but I think you're still emotionally stunted so there's still more growing up for you to do."</p><p>Atsumu feels sort of offended because there's a grain of truth in her words. "I'm not gonna deny that but why're ya suddenly attackin' me? It's my birthday!" Atsumu whines at her and she slings her arm around his shoulders, making him bend so she can ruffle his hair.</p><p>"See, just look at you! You're still a big baby."</p><p>"..Am not." He pouts at her for ruining his hair, combing his fingers through the strands so that it doesn't look so messy.</p><p>She lets go of him and pats his arm consolingly. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get there someday."</p><p>They sit by the large windows overlooking the bustling street below. Once their food arrives, Saeko tells him to smile for the camera before he can start eating. She has her phone out on selfie mode in one hand and the other in a peace sign. Atsumu's gotten used to her forcing him into taking selfies with her over the past few years so he knows that it's better if he does it right the first time so he can get to his food faster.</p><p>He grins and flashes a peace sign too. Saeko takes a couple of photos and looks over them before saying, "Aw, you're so cute here!"</p><p>"Please. I'm always cute, Saeko-chan," Atsumu says shamelessly. As long as it's a compliment, Atsumu will take it.</p><p>The noodles are soft and chewy while the broth is hot and tasty. "Mm, this is really good. I should come here more often," Saeko says after swallowing her first bite.</p><p>"Yeah, I dunno why we only came here once before."</p><p>Saeko nods to show her agreement. "So, what's new with you these days?"</p><p>Atsumu updates her on everything else except some personal stuff, concluding with him being the starting setter at MSBY. Each time he mentions a new event, her eyes grow wide and she looks like she wants to leap over the table to tackle him into a hug, barely restraining herself because she doesn't want to waste any food. </p><p>But when he tells her that he's MSBY's setter, she can hardly contain her squeal of happiness. "What! Yes! The fact that you did it, you actually achieved your goal within the year is nothing short of amazing. Congratulations, Atsumu. And I mean, Oikawa transferring to Argentina now is such a nice coincidence too, but I'm probably one of those people who truly knows how hard you work behind the scenes, so I can say with full confidence that you really deserve it."</p><p>Saeko's words fill him to the brim with happiness and gratification because it's such a wonderful feeling to receive such a genuine reaction from her. "Thanks, Saeko-chan. It really means a lot to hear that from ya."</p><p>"I mean it. I'm so happy for you and you best believe that I'll be watching all of your matches from now on. Maybe I'll even get the taiko squad together to cheer for you guys. Who knows. Maybe we'll bring the drums out when you reach the finals." She winks at him and he grins at her, imagining the beat of the drums in tandem with the cheers of their supporters.</p><p>"We'll get there, just watch us."</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When they were in their last year of high school and Osamu had told him that he didn’t plan on playing volleyball professionally after graduation, Atsumu had felt for the first time that they were going in different directions, and it made him feel somewhat scared and lost. They always did things together and Atsumu also remembers feeling angry because it felt as if Osamu was choosing a different path to get away from him. But he was wrong and Osamu breaking away first became the catalyst to them being more independent and closer, in a way, because the underlying competition between them had gradually ceased which improved the relationship with their own selves and each other.</p><p>And who would’ve thought that everything would work out fine in the end anyway. After all, there are some real perks of having a brother who owns his own restaurant, specifically Atsumu getting delicious free food.</p><p>That evening after practice, Atsumu’s plan is to have a birthday meal with Osamu at Miya Onigiri because they’ve always celebrated their birthday together. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate meal, they can eat anything together and call it a celebration.</p><p>Atsumu’s waiting for the elevator to arrive on his floor when he hears footsteps rapidly approaching him from behind. He glances back and sees Hinata charging towards him, Bokuto following close behind and Sakusa trailing at the end.</p><p>“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TSUMU-SAN,” Hinata yells with a huge grin on his face, his arms wide open to give Atsumu a crushing hug.</p><p>“Oof! Thanks, Shou-chan!” Atsumu returns the hug and grins widely, his heart soaring in his chest because <em>how did they know</em>.</p><p>“YEAH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TSUM-TSUM,” Bokuto wishes him and pries Atsumu out of Hinata’s embrace. Bokuto then wraps his strong arms around Atsumu’s body and lifts him up in a hug, making Atsumu laugh loudly.</p><p>“Dude! Thanks but put me down!” Bokuto listens to him and pats the top of his head twice like he’s a dog before moving to the side for Sakusa.</p><p>Sakusa doesn’t reach for him like the other two but he isn’t wearing a mask so Atsumu can clearly see the small and honest smile on his face. “Happy birthday, Miya.”</p><p>Just three words and Atsumu feels his heart grow fond. “Thanks, Omi-kun.”</p><p>With a smile on his face, Atsumu looks at his friends who are staring at him expectantly. “Thanks for the birthday wishes guys, really. I don’t really like makin’ a huge deal ‘bout my birthday so how did ya find out it’s today?”</p><p>“Oh! Omi-san --” Hinata starts to say but Sakusa quickly cuts him off before he can complete his sentence.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter how we found out, does it? What’s important now is that we now know it’s your birthday, which means we can do something about it.”</p><p>Atsumu gapes at Sakusa and not taking his eyes off of him, he asks Hinata and Bokuto, “Is this guy really Omi-kun? He’s actin’ kinda sus right now.”</p><p>“Yep, that’s Omi-san,” Hinata confirms and Sakusa rolls his eyes violently.</p><p>“Miya, you dumbass. I’m trying to be nice here.”</p><p>“Well, if ya say so. It’s weirdin’ me out though, ya sure yer not sick or somethin’?”</p><p>Sakusa’s lips curl in disdain, his eyes narrowing at Atsumu. “Can you just act like a normal person and not ask stupid questions when someone’s being nice to you?”</p><p>“Yer the one who isn’t actin’ normal,” Atsumu retorts.</p><p>“Fine,” Sakusa snaps. “If that’s what you think, then whatever. I’m not going to waste my time trying to change your mind.”</p><p>Sakusa actually sounds hurt beneath his anger and Atsumu’s taken aback, regret and shame immediately flooding his veins for acting like a massive jerk. At that moment, the elevator arrives and its doors slide open. It’s only then that he remembers that Hinata and Bokuto are there too, though they don’t seem too concerned, probably used to Atsumu and Sakusa arguing.</p><p>Sakusa’s wearing a face mask now and he’s silent during the elevator ride down, while Hinata and Bokuto ask him where he wants to eat for dinner, even giving him some suggestions. When Atsumu tells them about his plan to eat at Miya Onigiri, their expressions light up and they look at each other before exclaiming, “Okay, let’s go there!”</p><p>Atsumu’s too bothered by how he treated Sakusa and his subsequent reaction to notice the mischievous expressions on Hinata and Bokuto’s faces. He needs to apologise to Sakusa because it’s his fault for being an asshole.</p><p>Hinata and Bokuto lead the group, talking to each other excitedly about who knows what, with Sakusa in the middle and Atsumu taking up the rear. After mustering up some courage, Atsumu nears Sakusa, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief because Sakusa didn’t move away from him.</p><p>There’s really no other way for him to say it. “I’m really sorry, Omi-kun. I was a jerk to ya an’ I made fun of ya too.” Sakusa doesn’t show any indication that he’s listening but Atsumu continues, “That’s no way for friends to treat each other, so I understand why yer mad at me. And thanks for thinkin’ ‘bout celebratin’ my birthday with me even though I was too stupid to realise that until I hurt you. I can’t make any promises but I’ll try to be a better friend to ya, if you’ll let me.”</p><p>Sakusa continues walking beside him in silence and Atsumu honestly hopes that Sakusa will forgive his dumbassery this time. He doesn’t want to lose Sakusa’s friendship after having built it over so many months before. He doesn’t want them to go back to being strangers, he <em>can’t</em>. Just the thought of it sends anxiety spiking through his heart.</p><p>Atsumu can see Miya Onigiri up ahead and he glances at Sakusa to find him already looking at him. Atsumu smiles hesitantly and Sakusa looks away, making his smile and stomach drop. He fucked up so badly this time.</p><p>Hinata and Bokuto have already went in and as Atsumu’s reaching for the door handle, Sakusa stops him.</p><p>“Miya, wait.” Sakusa sighs and they move to the side of the entrance so they’re not blocking anyone’s way.</p><p>“I’m real sorry for hurtin’ ya, Omi-kun,” Atsumu reiterates, hoping that he’ll be forgiven.</p><p>“Listen, it’s fine. You were a dick but it’s okay, it’s your birthday.”</p><p>“No! If yer only letting this go ‘cause it’s my birthday then I’d rather ya stay mad at me.” Atsumu wants Sakusa to accept his apology from the bottom of his heart without any excuses.</p><p>There’s a moment of silence before Sakusa says softly, “Okay, I accept your apology.” His voice hardens, “But if you do this to me again, I’m gonna kick your ass. I mean it.”</p><p>The anxiety around Atsumu’s heart uncoils itself and he’s so relieved, allowing a tentative smile on his face. “I wouldn’t expect anythin’ less from ya.”</p><p>Atsumu enters Miya Onigiri before Sakusa and he’s greeted by a group of people yelling “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” at him. He gasps loudly. Stunned, Sakusa urges him from behind to join the group, which upon closer inspection, consists of his high school friends, Saeko and his MSBY team members.</p><p>“Thank ya! I can’t believe ya did this for me!” Atsumu tells them, happiness bubbling in his chest and making him feel immensely blessed.</p><p>“They did it for <em>us</em>, ya dumbass.” Osamu curls his arm around Atsumu’s shoulders, giving him a side hug. “Happy birthday, twin.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I got the surprise!” Atsumu grins at Osamu like he just won a prize.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. It ain’t a competition, a’ight. C’mon, let’s eat.” Osamu leads him to a long table that was fashioned from joining multiple smaller tables. There’s a variety of food served -- not just onigiri! -- spanning the length of the table.</p><p>On his way to his seat, he stops by to greet his school friends, each of them telling the other that it’s been too long since they last met up. Aran and the rest of them also congratulate him for making the team, clapping him on his back for a job well done. Next, Saeko comes up to him and embraces him, laughing at the way he complains to her about keeping this party from him.</p><p>“It’s a surprise party, so obviously you had to be kept in the dark.”</p><p>“Yeah but Samu knew ‘bout it since we’re at his restaurant.”</p><p>“That’s also true but I’m not the one who planned this.”</p><p>She leaves him after that to take her own seat and Atsumu goes to thank his team members for joining in on the fun.</p><p>Inunaki just says, “Duh! You’re part of the team now and we celebrate everyone’s birthdays.”</p><p>It’s a joyous occasion, there’s chatter and laughter all around and Atsumu doesn’t stay seated while he eats. Instead he chooses to rotate around the table so that he’s able to talk with everyone at least once; reminiscing the good ol’ days and catching up with his high school friends, talking with Saeko about her collection of plants and the small garden that she’s currently cultivating on the rooftop of her apartment, and chatting with his team members about the wildest parties they’ve been to so far.</p><p>Sakusa’s a little subdued, which is expected because he doesn’t like crowded places so Atsumu stays close to him whenever he can, almost as if he’s subconsciously trying to protect Sakusa.</p><p>The party lasts for a few hours, with the number of people in Miya Onigiri decreasing every hour as friends go home happy and with a full stomach. By the end of it, there’s only a handful of them left, including Hinata, Bokuto and Sakusa.</p><p>Atsumu offers to help clean up the mess but Osamu says, “Nah, it’s ‘kay. The staff can do the cleaning so ya and yer friends can go home.”</p><p>“Oh. Then can I ask ya somethin’ before we leave?” It’s been on his mind ever since Saeko told him that she wasn’t the one responsible for making this party happen.</p><p>“Shoot.”</p><p>“D’ya know who planned this surprise party? Saeko-chan said it wasn’t her an’ I know it wasn’t ya either, so who is it?”</p><p>Osamu’s gaze slides to stare at something behind Atsumu, so naturally Atsumu turns around to look. They’re looking at Hinata, Bokuto and Sakusa sitting together around a table, so it must be one or all of them. “Who’re ya lookin’ at?”</p><p>“Use yer brain, would ya?”</p><p>Hinata’s a nice person but he doesn’t seem like the type that can plan something of this scale, so he’s out. Bokuto doesn’t seem like he even thought about planning a surprise party at all and he’s just happy to be here. So that leaves..</p><p>“What-- Omi-kun?” He can’t keep the scepticism out of his voice.</p><p>To his astonishment, Osamu nods. “Ding, ding! That’s right. Kiyoomi called me earlier this week an’ said that the Black Jackals wanted to plan a surprise party for ya an’ he asked if they could have it here. So I said why not.” He pauses as Atsumu’s mind goes into overdrive. “But if I’m bein’ honest, when yer teammates arrived before ya, they were talkin’ ‘bout how nice it was of Kiyoomi to volunteer to do all the plannin’. I helped to gather Aran and the rest of ‘em but he pretty much did the rest of it.”</p><p>Atsumu’s mind suddenly blanks and he can’t do anything else but stare at Sakusa with a new pair of eyes, feeling a deep sense of appreciation for his friend. “He.. yer not lyin’ to me, are ya?”</p><p>“Nah, I got better things to do than pull a trick on ya.”</p><p>Sakusa catches Atsumu staring at him and narrows his eyes at him as if saying, “What are you looking at?”</p><p>Atsumu flushes and turns away quickly and he just blushes fiercer when Osamu laughs at him. “Oh, man. Yer actin’ like a school boy with his first crush right now.”</p><p>“Shut the fuck up, Samu!” Atsumu hisses at him, which only makes him laugh harder.</p><p>“We’re leavin’ now, thanks for ya know. The party.” Atsumu practically pushes the three of his friends out the door in his haste, leaving his brother and Suna laughing after him.</p><p>As they walk back to their condominium complex in pairs -- Hinata with Bokuto and Atsumu with Sakusa -- Atsumu wonders if he should personally thank Sakusa or if he should just leave it and pretend like he’s none the wiser. If Sakusa didn’t say that he wasn’t the one who planned it, then it might mean that he’s either humble or he doesn’t want Atsumu to know about it. After ruminating on it during the entire walk back, Atsumu decides to go for it after Hinata and Bokuto bid them goodnight.</p><p>“Omi-kun, thanks for tonight. I thought I was just gonna celebrate it with Samu but I had a great birthday this year,” he says sincerely.</p><p>“You’re welcome, but I’m not the only one who planned it. The whole team helped out too.”</p><p>Atsumu hesitates, unsure whether he’s telling the truth or not. “Huh, but Samu told me that he overheard the rest of the guys sayin’ that ya planned everythin’.”</p><p>Sakusa blinks once, then twice and clears his throat lightly. “Technically, I did plan most of it but I can’t take all the credit.”</p><p>“But..” Samu told me you <em>volunteered</em> to do it, is what Atsumu wants to say but he doesn’t and he doesn’t know why.</p><p>“But what?”</p><p>Atsumu waves his hand and shakes his head, saying, “Never mind, it’s nothin’ important.”</p><p>Sakusa tilts his head forward to peer into Atsumu’s eyes and finding nothing that he’s looking for, he unlocks his door and says, “Okay, then is there anything else?”</p><p>“..No. Goodnight, Omi-kun.”</p><p>Atsumu only moves to his own door when he's left staring at Sakusa’s closed door, convinced that Sakusa lied to him and not knowing the real reason behind it.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>In no time at all, the v.league division 1 season begins and they get onto the bus that will bring them to the hotel that they're staying in before the game tomorrow morning. Atsumu sits beside Hinata during the bus ride while Bokuto's beside Inunaki and Sakusa's sitting on his own towards the front of the bus.</p><p>Initially, Atsumu asked if he could sit beside Sakusa and was rejected, then Hinata told him they could sit together which works fine with Atsumu as well.</p><p>"Don't mind Omi-san, it's just how he is," Hinata says to him as the bus starts moving.</p><p>"Has he ever sat with anyone before?"</p><p>Hinata scratches his cheek absentmindedly as he replies, "Yeah, he sat with me or Bokuto-san a few times but usually he likes sitting alone. It's no big deal."</p><p>"Huh, that's interesting." Atsumu thought that Sakusa would've hated being in close proximity to someone for an extended period of time, but it turns out he's kind of wrong about that.</p><p>The bus ride lasts for about an hour and a half and Atsumu spends the entire time curating his playlists and exploring new music while Hinata leans against his side, sleeping soundly. Atsumu wishes that he could sleep in moving vehicles but it only works when he's practically dead on his feet.</p><p>Meian and Coach Foster check in the team at the hotel and Meian tells them that they're free to pair up and share a room with whomever they want to.</p><p>Very quickly, Atsumu realises that there's a system that everyone in the team follows without much explanation to someone like him who has never experienced this before. One by one, they pair up and take their room key from Meian and seeing the confusion on Atsumu's face, Hinata says, "Oh! I forgot to tell you earlier but Omi-san used to share a room with either me or Oikawa-san. But since Oikawa-san's transferred, I think everyone assumed that you'd share a room with him?"</p><p>The confusion clears and Atsumu says, "Oh, then I'll just be roommates with Omi-kun."</p><p>Hinata smiles at him and nods. "Great! Let's go get our keys."</p><p>They go up to Meian who asks, "Are you guys rooming together?"</p><p>"Nope! I'm with Bokuto-san and Tsumu-san's with Omi-san."</p><p>Meian then looks at Atsumu and lowers his voice, asking, "Are you sure? Sakusa has a.. very specific routine. It's nothing weird or bad. He just likes it when things are clean."</p><p>Atsumu replies affirmatively, "Yeah, I'm sure. Whatever it is, I'll be fine with it." He knows a little of Sakusa's habits and he understands him better now so it's not like he'll judge Sakusa for being himself.</p><p>Meian smiles at Atsumu and says, "I'm glad to hear that. Here are your keys."</p><p>Atsumu passes one of the keys to Sakusa who's looking around the hotel lobby in boredom. "C'mon, Omi-kun. Let's go up to our room."</p><p>Sakusa's eyes widen slightly but he just says, "Okay."</p><p>The room looks like any other standard hotel room. There's a bathroom, two beds separated by a bedside table, a tiny television that probably doesn't even work, and a desk and a chair. They remove their shoes by the door and Sakusa claims the first bed, away from the windows.</p><p>"'Kay, then," Atsumu says unprompted.</p><p>He places his bag on the floor beside his bed and flops onto the firm mattress, unmoving while Sakusa unzips his bag and rummages through before saying to Atsumu, "Don't fall asleep. We have practice later."</p><p>"Mm, I know." The next thing Atsumu hears is the bathroom door being opened and closed and try as he might, he can't help but snooze for a short while until he's woken up by the sound of the bathroom door being unlocked.</p><p>Atsumu sits up on his bed and stretches his arms above his head, already feeling less tired than before.</p><p>"You slept, didn't you?"</p><p>"Nope! I rested."</p><p>Sakusa rolls his eyes in humour and says, "Whatever. You ready to go?"</p><p>"I've <em>been</em> ready, I've just been waitin' for ya."</p><p>Practice goes well and everyone is in high spirits, excited for their first game of the season. Tomorrow's game marks Atsumu's debut as the new starting setter for MSBY and he would be lying if he said that he isn't nervous. </p><p>He wants to win and he doesn't want to disappoint anyone because if they lose tomorrow, then it'll make him feel as if they made the wrong choice by choosing him and even though he knows that volleyball is a team game, he'll still feel like he's to blame.</p><p>But he quickly squashes those negative thoughts because he shouldn't be thinking like that before a game, it'll do nothing good.</p><p>They return to their rooms before dinner and Atsumu lets Sakusa have the bathroom first, and while all he wants to do is lie down on his bed, he's sweaty and gross so he sits on the floor instead, leaning his back on the side of his bed. He watches videos on YouTube while waiting for his turn, letting his remaining sweat cool on his skin.</p><p>When Sakusa comes out from the bathroom, he tells Atsumu that there's a squeegee and small cloth hanging behind the bathroom door that he can use to wipe down the shower after he's done showering.</p><p>"Use the squeegee first to get rid of the water then use the cloth to wipe the shower dry," Sakusa instructs him.</p><p>
  <em>Is this what Meian was tellin' me 'bout?</em>
</p><p>Atsumu shrugs because it doesn't seem like a bad habit to have, honestly. "A'ight, Omi-kun."</p><p>He wipes down the shower as instructed and finds that it's not as tedious as he thought it would be since the shower is on the smaller side. After he's done with it, he sort of feels like he learned a tiny bit more about Sakusa.</p><p>"Did you wipe down the shower like I told you to?" Sakusa asks him as soon as he steps out of the bathroom.</p><p>"Yep. Ya can check it if ya wanna," he offers.</p><p>Sakusa pauses and shakes his head. "No, that's fine." Atsumu hears the <em>I trust you</em> that Sakusa didn't say and it makes him feel good.</p><p>They have dinner with the team and Coach Foster tells all of them to have a good night's sleep at the end of it because they need to get up early for tomorrow's morning match. The night is still too young for Atsumu to fall asleep but he doesn't want to do anything that will affect his performance tomorrow.</p><p>In the elevator, Bokuto and Hinata ask him and Sakusa whether they want to play card games with them in their room.</p><p>"Like what?" Atsumu asks because he doesn't know that many card games.</p><p>"Uno!" Bokuto says and Hinata follows up with, "Come on! It'll be more fun if there's more of us."</p><p>Sakusa doesn't decline their invitation and Hinata and Bokuto cheer loudly in the elevator, then immediately cringe at how loud they are.</p><p>So that's what four men in their 20s end up doing: playing Uno and treating it like it's a real competition. The first round they play, Bokuto wins and Hinata wins the second round, while Sakusa ends up winning the third and final round before they go back to their own room.</p><p>"Better luck next time, Miya." Sakusa doesn't sound sincere at all!</p><p>"Just wait. I'll be the Uno champion one day," Atsumu grumbles, feeling rather annoyed because he lost in every round.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The team steps onto the court and greets the team they're playing against. Atsumu has erased all traces of nervousness and he's entirely focused on what's going on right here and right now. There is no time or energy to spare thinking about what ifs because as long as he does his best alongside his teammates, there's nothing to regret.</p><p>Atsumu wanted to win in straight sets but their opponent takes the second set so they play another two sets. When the match ends with MSBY scoring the winning point, Atsumu feels as if he has reached a new high. Exhilaration thrums beneath his skin and he's unable to stay still. He hasn't felt this way in such a long time, it feels as if he has been reborn.</p><p>His teammates cheer loudly beside him and they all get into a group hug that lasts for a couple of seconds. The only person excluded is Sakusa who’s hastily wiping away his sweat.</p><p>“Good game today, guys,” Meian says as they head towards Coach Foster.</p><p>“YEAH, everyone did great!” Bokuto beams and gives them two thumbs up while walking backwards.</p><p>Coach Foster congratulates them on their win and tells them that they played well, but they could improve themselves in certain areas so they’ll be debriefing once they get back. Everyone then disperses back to their own rooms with tired smiles on their faces.</p><p>“Man, I really thought we could win three sets in a row but it was like they had a burst of strength during the second set,” Atsumu comments unprompted.</p><p>Sakusa makes a <em>tch</em> sound. “Why does it matter whether we win in straight sets or not? We still won in the end.”</p><p>“I’m just sayin’ it would’ve been cool if we did.”</p><p>Sakusa glances at him with a smirk. “Ah, I think I get it now. Is this one of things you wanted to brag about?”</p><p>When Sakusa says it simply like that, it kind of irks Atsumu. “So what if I wanted to? Is that so wrong?”</p><p>“I never said it was.”</p><p>“Yer tone was mocking me,” Atsumu huffs while unlocking their room door.</p><p>“Pfft. You deserved it.”</p><p>“Yer a real asshole.” Atsumu crosses his arms and doesn’t bother to hide his frown.</p><p>“Didn’t we establish that already? Or did you forget,” Sakusa says before going for a shower, ignoring Atsumu’s annoyed glare.</p><p>The team treats themselves to a small celebratory dinner after the debriefing. Atsumu’s happy mood has been constant throughout the day but now it spikes because even though it’s just their first match -- or maybe because it’s their first match -- he’s really happy that he was able to play alongside the men around him and experience a win together.</p><p>Soon, the dinner ends and while some decide to go home and rest, Inunaki persuades the rest of them to go drinking at a bar owned by one of his friends. Even Sakusa relents after Hinata pleads with him and shows him his puppy dog eyes.</p><p>It’s pretty new and not as well-known as the other bars that most patrons frequent so it’s not as crowded. Sakusa was scowling the whole way up until they entered the bar and even though his face is covered, Atsumu notices that his shoulders aren’t as tense after they manage to snag a table in a corner.</p><p>Inunaki comes back to the table with a tray of shots lined up and each of them grabs one, toasting their win, “Cheers!”</p><p>Atsumu downs it and the alcohol burns down his throat, not an entirely unpleasant feeling. Although they just finished dinner, they also order some snacks to munch on while they chat and continue drinking. While Atsumu was an actor, he occasionally went out for drinks with his friends but he thinks that he has been drinking more ever since he was introduced to Inunaki and he briefly worries about the state of his liver.</p><p>But he reasons that as long as he controls himself and doesn’t get drunk, then he should be fine. <em>I mean, just look at these guys. I dunno how they do it but they’re still in great shape</em>.</p><p>Suddenly, he feels a hand on his knee and he jolts, almost knocking over his glass of beer. His eyes land on the pale and long fingers splayed across his knee, trailing up a toned forearm and muscular biceps before settling on Sakusa’s deep eyes that seem to pull him in.</p><p>
  <em>What the fuck!</em>
</p><p>Atsumu feels his blood rushing to his face and he knows that his blush isn’t caused by the alcohol he’s been drinking. He doesn’t know what to do with his hands so he quickly wraps them around his glass of beer, the condensation on the surface of the glass wetting and cooling his palms.</p><p>“Um. Omi-kun? What’s wrong?” He says softly to avoid attracting anyone’s attention to what’s going on.</p><p>It looks as if Sakusa wants to say something but he imperceptibly shakes his head and squeezes his knee once before letting go completely and turning away, leaving Atsumu really fucking confused.</p><p><em>What was that all about?</em> Atsumu wants to yell at Sakusa because this is the first time that Sakusa freely touched him and he doesn’t know what to make of it because as far as he knows, Sakusa only touches someone if.. Well, he doesn’t know because Sakusa rarely touches anyone!</p><p>Atsumu keeps glancing over at Sakusa but it’s as if Sakusa has forgotten he’s there and eventually, Atsumu gets fed up and just starts ignoring Sakusa as well. </p><p><em>Bastard</em>, he thinks sourly.</p><p>By the end of the night, Atsumu is just barely tipsy and not surprisingly, everyone else is in various stages of drunkenness and Atsumu and Sakusa manage to get them all home safely. Sakusa’s quiet beside him in the elevator ride up and he decides to discard that odd incident in the bar, not wanting to lose more brain cells trying to figure out what happened. All of a sudden, he feels exhausted and all he wants to do is sleep until noon the next day.</p><p>After making sure that Hinata and Bokuto are still able to get into bed without hurting themselves, Atsumu is just about to make his way to his own place when Sakusa grasps his wrist.</p><p>Atsumu freezes and looks at him, bewilderment clear on his face. “Huh?”</p><p>“You played good today,” is all Sakusa says.</p><p>“I-- Thanks?” Atsumu’s mind has gone blank and he can feel his pulse against Sakusa’s warm fingers. Somehow, Sakusa’s eyes seem deeper and darker and if Atsumu thinks that if he’s not careful, then he might drown in them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i'm a little early but happy bday (in advance) osamu and atsumu!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ever since that night at the bar, Atsumu has noticed that Sakusa seems to be <em>different</em> around him in subtle ways that one wouldn’t notice unless they were paying attention in the first place.</p><p>Sakusa would sometimes stand closer to him than usual or when they walk home from practice together, Atsumu swears that the back of their hands would brush, light as a feather. But the one thing that fucks him up the most is the way Sakusa looks at him now.</p><p>Atsumu doesn't know what to make of the warm spark that he would every so often see in Sakusa's eyes.</p><p>He even briefly considers calling Osamu to talk about it because even though Osamu might have some useful advice, Atsumu's not in the mood to get laughed at by his brother <em>again</em>.</p><p>"Tsum-tsum, you've been kinda distracted lately," Bokuto says perceptively after practice one day, his big eyes staring at Atsumu in a mixture of concern and curiosity.</p><p>Atsumu stiffens before he realises that he has nothing to hide. "Really? Sorry 'bout that. I'll do better from now on."</p><p>Atsumu didn't know he was being so transparent with his emotions and he has always prided himself in being able to distinguish between work and his personal life, so he also feels rather ashamed that he let himself get distracted.</p><p>Bokuto shakes his head frantically. "No, it's okay. We all get those days and you've still been playing like you always do," he pauses and seems to hesitate on his next words.</p><p>"What?" Atsumu prompts.</p><p>Before Bokuto can answer, Coach Foster calls the team over and Atsumu forgets to ask Bokuto what he wanted to say while Bokuto decides to keep his observations to himself and Hinata for now.</p><p>Atsumu steps out of his shower when his phone chimes.</p><p> </p><p>Omi-omi 🌟</p><p> </p><p>Dinner tonight?</p><p>sure</p><p>where?</p><p>My place @ 7.</p><p>I'm cooking for four.</p><p>ok see u!!</p><p> </p><p>It's not the first time that Sakusa's having the three of them over but it's still a rare occurrence. The first time Hinata and Bokuto stepped foot in Sakusa's house, they were in awe by how clean and tidy it was compared to theirs but the novelty of it faded quickly when they were served with Sakusa's home cooked food, exclaiming that it smells incredible and further thanking Sakusa for feeding them such a delicious meal.</p><p>The thing about Sakusa that Atsumu has noticed is that he doesn't share things, not due to possessiveness but rather because he never had a reason to. Sakusa moves about life like a person who grew up as an only child and Atsumu's assumption is proven correct after he questioned Sakusa a while ago.</p><p>"Omi-kun, were ya an only child?" Atsumu asked bluntly.</p><p>"Yes, I was."</p><p>And that was that. Unlike Atsumu who grew up having to share <em>everything</em> with Osamu or Hinata who grew up with a younger sister and having to look after her, Sakusa grew up alone and only had a few friends, including his cousin Komori Motoya.</p><p>But Sakusa's getting better about sharing now -- whether through observation or experience -- and these subtle changes don't go unnoticed by their teammates. Everyone's nice enough not to outright mention it but they're secretly thrilled about Sakusa's change in attitude.</p><p>Atsumu rings the doorbell and he's let in by Bokuto who greets him happily.</p><p>"Hey, hey, Tsum-tsum! Come in, you're right on time."</p><p>As Atsumu walks into Sakusa's house, the smell of food grows stronger, whetting his appetite. He sees Hinata setting the table and Sakusa rinsing a pot, four bowls of ramen sitting on a tray. Sakusa's really good at multitasking, being able to clean as he cooks because he doesn't like everything to pile up in the sink.</p><p>"Hiya, Omi-kun," Atsumu approaches him and peers into the sink. "Ya almost done?"</p><p>Sakusa glances at him. "Yes. You can take the food out first."</p><p>"'Kay."</p><p>Sakusa's dining table fits four of them just nicely and it's another good meal, not just because of the appetising food but also because of the great company. When they're done eating, Hinata offers to help wash the dishes even though he knows that Sakusa likes doing the dishes himself.</p><p>"Thanks, but that's alright. You're my guest after all."</p><p>"Okay, Omi-san. Thank you for the delicious dinner!" Hinata bows his head a little and the rest of them follow suit, expressing their gratitude again.</p><p>"You're welcome." Atsumu catches Sakusa's small smile, his own tugging into one.</p><p>If they were having dinner at anyone else's house then they would stay longer to play some games or watch a movie but they all know and respect Sakusa to leave almost immediately after dinner. Except Atsumu, who lingers behind after the front door shuts, knowing that Sakusa will say something.</p><p>"Miya, come in here and help me with the dishes," Sakusa calls out to him.</p><p>"What's the magic word?"</p><p>"Come in here, <em>dumbass.</em>"</p><p>"Wrong! Try again, Omi-kun." Atsumu grins. Sakusa's always such an asshole to him that he likes making it a point to teach him some manners.</p><p>"You know what-- never mind. You can go home. I don't need your help."</p><p>"If ya say so, Omi-kun," Atsumu says but doesn't go anywhere.</p><p>Sakusa sighs and practically grits out his next words. "<em>Please</em> help me with the dishes."</p><p>"Was that so hard, Omi-kun?" Atsumu snickers beside him and receives an eye roll in reply.</p><p>"Do you ever shut up or do you just love the sound of your voice that much?"</p><p>"Hah! The second one, for sure. Why? Ya don't like my voice?" Atsumu mockingly pouts at Sakusa who looks at him with a stony expression.</p><p>"You gonna rinse or be useless?"</p><p>"Useless." Sakusa glares at him and he smirks, picking up a bowl and rinsing it thoroughly.</p><p>Atsumu has done this enough times to get used to the way their arms brush against each other. When they're done with the dishes and cleaning the sinks, Atsumu walks to the front door with Sakusa following him.</p><p>"Thanks again for dinner, Omi-omi." Atsumu turns and his breath is caught when he realises how closely Sakusa is standing behind him. They’re practically one foot away and he can see that Sakusa’s eyes are a shade of dark brown instead of black. He tells himself to move away but his body is frozen while Sakusa seems unfazed, gazing at him languidly.</p><p>“It was my pleasure,” Sakusa says lowly.</p><p>Atsumu can feel his heart rapidly beating in his chest and is it just his imagination or did it get warmer?</p><p>He’s so busy trying to quiet his erratic thoughts that he doesn’t notice anything else until Sakusa’s fingers brush the top of his right cheek and he instantly flushes red.</p><p>“I, uh. What--?” Atsumu stammers, so unlike the confident person he is.</p><p>“You had a stray eyelash on your cheekbone,” Sakusa states like he didn’t just tilt Atsumu’s world on its axis.</p><p>Atsumu doesn’t know why but he feels oddly crushed when he hears those words and he finally jerks backwards, the part where Sakusa touched him tingling. “Oh. Okay.”</p><p>“You sound disappointed,” Sakusa says when Atsumu’s turned around and is reaching for the door handle.</p><p>Atsumu’s tone is nonchalant as he faces Sakusa and answers, “Why would I be.”</p><p>Sakusa’s eyes glint in challenge. “Because you thought I touched you for another reason.”</p><p>“Like what?” Atsumu keeps his voice light, as if he’s merely curious and not internally freaking out.</p><p>Sakusa shrugs and the fire in his eyes blazes brighter as he steps towards Atsumu. His hand reaches up to cup the side of Atsumu’s face and he brings his face closer. “Like this,” Sakusa says softly, his breath hitting Atsumu’s lips.</p><p>Atsumu stares at Sakusa with wide eyes and his own lips part voluntarily, his tongue sneaking out to wet his lips. “Omi-kun. What’re ya doin’?” Atsumu whispers, afraid that Sakusa will pull away if he speaks any louder.</p><p>“Nothing.” It doesn’t matter because the light in Sakusa’s eyes suddenly extinguishes and he pulls away, leaving Atsumu feeling cold, confused and slightly angry.</p><p>"Am I a joke to ya? If ya wanna play, then go play with Ushijima-san," Atsumu lashes out and doesn't wait for a response, leaving Sakusa standing in front of his door.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Neither of them apologises to the other, which puts a slight but obvious strain on their friendship outside the court, but they're professionals so they compartmentalize their feelings and put their game faces on. After winning another game, the team goes back to their respective rooms.</p><p>Meian, with the authority as captain, had decided to pair up Atsumu and Sakusa when they arrived at the hotel this morning and he told them that he wouldn't listen to any objections. Atsumu had tried asking Hinata and Bokuto if they would switch places with him but to his dismay, both of them told him that he needed to man up and talk with Sakusa because they didn't like to see them fighting.</p><p>"We're not fightin'! He's just a fuckin' asshole, so why do I gotta get punished too," Atsumu complains to them.</p><p>"Tsum-tsum, you've always known that he's an asshole and you're not getting punished. Cap's just worried that you two not getting along will affect your teamwork," Bokuto tries to rationalise with him.</p><p>"Yeah and we're so used to seeing you guys being around each other that it's really weird when you start ignoring each other," Hinata pipes in.</p><p>"And you both looked kinda sad the entire week too, Tsum-tsum."</p><p>Atsumu sighs heavily and feels a headache starting to bloom in his temples. He doesn't even feel like celebrating their win this time because he's so tired of this situation with Sakusa. </p><p>"I guess yer right," he mutters.</p><p>"Of course we are!" Then they kick him out of their room, wishing him good luck.</p><p>When Atsumu gets back to the room he shares with Sakusa, it's dimly lit with only the lamp beside Sakusa's bed turned on. There's an awkwardness between them that hasn't been present for a long while and it makes Atsumu feel distressed.</p><p>Sakusa's sitting on his bed reading a book with his earphones in, the perfect way to pretend that Atsumu isn't there. Even though Atsumu has been doing the same to Sakusa, he can't help but feel ticked off.</p><p>Atsumu doesn't know how to start a conversation with Sakusa after avoiding him for a week and for some reason, he feels nervous too so he locks himself in the bathroom to think of a plan. After a stretch of time with him just pacing in the small area of the bathroom, the only thing he comes up with is to apologise first. He'll be the bigger person first and he'll act based on how Sakusa reacts to his apology.</p><p>"It's just Omi-kun. I can do this," he motivates himself and calms his racing heart before stepping out into the room.</p><p>Atsumu was afraid that Sakusa had gone to sleep while he was in the bathroom but luckily, Sakusa's still reading in the silent room. Atsumu approaches Sakusa and it isn't until he's standing beside his bed that Sakusa looks up at him.</p><p>Removing one side of his earphones, Sakusa says, "What, Miya?"</p><p>Sakusa doesn't sound angry or upset, just bored and Atsumu barely restrains himself from walking away.</p><p>Instead, he crouches beside the bed so that he's more or less closer to being eye level with Sakusa and not towering over him. Sakusa's dark eyes bore into him and he takes a breath to steady himself before speaking, his voice coming out softer than intended. "I'm sorry 'bout the other day, Omi-kun. What ya did.. it made me feel mad an' confused an' I just lashed out. I shouldn't have done that."</p><p>Sakusa completely removes his earphones and puts his book aside to pay his full attention on Atsumu. Atsumu waits for Sakusa to say something but when he doesn't, he continues, "We're friends, right? So when ya did what ya did last week, I wasn't sure if ya meant it or if ya were playin' 'round an' I still don't, but I don't really care anymore 'cause yer my friend an' I guess.. I miss ya, just a lil."</p><p>There. Done. That should be enough, right? Atsumu realises too late that he revealed more than he intended to but there's no way he can take those words back. Besides, he was telling the truth so that should mean something at least.</p><p>In contrast to Atsumu, Sakusa says normally and clearly, "I'm sorry too, Miya. I got too comfortable around you and I was just trying to tease you but I took it too far and hurt you in the process. I never intended to play with your feelings and I want you to know that I won't do that anymore because it's wrong and I took your friendship for granted.</p><p>"You don't need to apologise for your reaction because it was warranted and I understand why you reacted the way you did. I'm also sorry for touching you without your permission and invading your personal space. I don't know what I was thinking when I did that. I was entirely at fault last week."</p><p>"It's 'kay, Omi-kun. That's all in the past now, so let's move on an' do better."</p><p>"You sure?"</p><p>"Yeah." Atsumu hesitates on his next words but something about what Sakusa said bothered him. "An' if ya feel comfortable 'round me, then I give ya permission to invade my personal space whenever ya feel like it. Bokkun an' Shou-chan do it all the time too, so there's no reason why ya can't. We're all friends anyway so touchin' each other shouldn't be a big deal. I mean, at least it isn't to me."</p><p>Sakusa's eyes widen slightly. "Okay, I'll take note of that. Thanks, Miya."</p><p>Atsumu finally feels a weight being lifted off his chest and he gives Sakusa a small smile. "So, we good now?"</p><p>"Shouldn't I be asking <em>you</em> that?" Sakusa laughs lightly and the tense atmosphere between them shatters.</p><p>"By the way, why did you mention Ushijima-san?"</p><p>Atsumu wasn't expecting that at all and he clears his throat before answering, "Uh, well. I kinda saw ya both grocery shoppin' one time an' assumed that ya were datin' each other."</p><p>"Ah, really."</p><p>Atsumu hurriedly says, "It's really not my business whether yer datin' him or not. Ya don't have to tell me that if ya don't wanna."</p><p>"No, it's fine. Ushijima-san and I are just friends," Sakusa states plainly.</p><p>"'Kay, Omi-kun." Atsumu nods and moves to get up from his squatting position because he can feel one of his legs going numb. "I'll let ya go back to readin' yer book."</p><p>"Actually, I think I'm going to sleep now, so I'll continue reading tomorrow." Sakusa keeps his book and earphones in his bag while Atsumu brushes his teeth and washes his face.</p><p>In the dark room with only a sliver of light coming through the gap under the bathroom door, Atsumu listens to the sound of his own breathing to lull himself to sleep. He hears rustling sheets from across his bed and feels someone staring at him.</p><p>Even though Atsumu can't see Sakusa at all, he still turns around in his bed so that if the lights were turned on, they would be looking at each other.</p><p>"Miya. Did you mean what you said?" Sakusa asks in a hushed tone, uncharacteristically vulnerable.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"That you missed me."</p><p>"...Yeah."</p><p>Atsumu doesn't hear anything after that and assumes that Sakusa has fallen asleep. Gradually, he feels his eyelids getting heavier and his mind going quieter and just as he's about to be pulled under, he hears Sakusa say quietly, "I missed you too."</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>On the bus ride home, their team members have noticed that Atsumu and Sakusa have clearly mended their friendship and Meian gives them both a proud smile, like he's personally responsible for it, which is only partially correct.</p><p><em>I missed you too</em>.</p><p>Atsumu never thought that he would ever hear those words from Sakusa. It feels as though they have been etched in Atsumu's mind because every time he looks at Sakusa, he remembers the softness of those words and wonders how Sakusa might have looked like as he said them.</p><p>It's an image that makes Atsumu feel rather strange and he doesn’t try to make sense of it.</p><p>“Hey, do you guys wanna have an early dinner together?” Hinata asks them as the elevator rises to their floor. “Kageyama brought me to this place the other day and the food was good! Like really good!”</p><p>“If it’s Shou-chan askin’, then of course I’m in,” Atsumu answers, which earns him a bright grin from Hinata.</p><p>Bokuto and Sakusa also take Hinata up on his invitation and they agree to meet each other in front of the elevators in a couple of hours. It’s a Sunday so Atsumu doesn’t have anything much to do besides some small chores and after he’s done with those, he takes a quick shower and changes into a presentable outfit since Hinata didn’t mention what kind of place he’s bringing them to.</p><p>The restaurant is further than he thought it would be and it takes them nearly half an hour to get there, but it’s worth it because Hinata’s right. The four of them eat heartily and chat merrily, and only emerge from the restaurant as the sky starts bleeding with the colours of the setting sun.</p><p>“Thanks for bringin’ us here, Shou-chan. I can't believe how much I ate," Atsumu says as he pats his stomach happily.</p><p>"Yeah! I need to bring Akaashi here some day! He'll love it too," Bokuto adds.</p><p>"I'm so glad you guys liked it! You liked it too, right Omi-san?" Hinata looks at Sakusa with a hopeful expression.</p><p>"I did, it was great."</p><p>Hinata is positively radiant for the rest of the ride back home.</p><p>Atsumu's unit is placed nearly at the end of the hallway on their floor so it's normal for him to be the last one to shut his door but for some reason, Sakusa seems to be lingering in the hallway too. Even though the night is still young, Atsumu just feels like having a quiet night in catching up with the shows that he has missed out on.</p><p>"Hey, Omi-kun. D'ya wanna come in?" The words just slip out of his mouth and he internally screams at himself <em>what are ya DOIN'</em>.</p><p>Sakusa starts and he turns to look at Atsumu. "What?"</p><p>"I said. D'ya wanna come in an' maybe watch somethin' together? It's fine if ya don't." Atsumu thinks that he might as well go through with it since Sakusa heard him. What could go wrong?</p><p>Sakusa hesitates and Atsumu tells him, "If yer worried 'bout hygiene, we can just chill at yours. I'll take a shower first before goin' over. Will that work, Omi-kun?" </p><p>Atsumu would rather take another shower than sanitise his entire apartment at the moment, but maybe next time he'll make more of an effort to make his place more comfortable for Sakusa.</p><p>"Oh. Yes. I'll see you, then."</p><p>Later, Atsumu's sitting on one end of the sofa and Sakusa's on the other. It's silent apart from the quiet whirring of the ceiling fan. It's not that they haven't hung out before but it's because they're at that stage of friendship where Atsumu doesn't feel the need to fill the silence between them.</p><p>"What do you want to watch?" Sakusa goes through the titles on Netflix slowly, probably giving Atsumu some time to read the summaries.</p><p>"Anythin' is fine." Sakusa throws him a slightly irritated look.</p><p>"What? I'm serious, I'll watch anythin' ya choose."</p><p>"Fine. What do you think about crime shows?"</p><p>"Like Criminal Minds? I guess they're kinda cool." Although Atsumu's more of a fan of shows like Grey's Anatomy, he'll watch anything if he's bored enough. Besides, this way he'll get to see what kind of shows Sakusa likes watching.</p><p>Without another word, Sakusa clicks on a title and it starts playing on the screen. As the episode of Sherlock unfolds in front of them, the pair inch closer to each other without noticing until they meet in the middle, which startles the both of them.</p><p>Atsumu stiffens and leans back and upon seeing that Sakusa isn't moving away, his expression morphs into one of confusion. Their thighs touch and Atsumu can feel how warm Sakusa is. It's a nice feeling, one that he doesn't want to relinquish.</p><p>"Is this.. okay with ya?" They're so close that Atsumu could count the number of Sakusa's eyelashes if he wanted to.</p><p>"Yes, I don't mind it at all." Atsumu relaxes and their shoulders come into contact. </p><p>"..'Kay." He hopes that Sakusa can't hear how hard his heart is currently beating. His attention strays from the show they're watching as he tries and fails to ignore the warmth emanating from Sakusa. But after a while, he gets used to sitting so closely next to Sakusa and when Sakusa gets up for a toilet break, the sudden loss of warmth feels odd.</p><p>Atsumu thought that Sakusa would want to go back to his original position at the end of the sofa after coming back from the washroom, but surprisingly Sakusa plops down beside Atsumu, albeit a tad further away. Atsumu hides his smile because he doesn't know what he would say if Sakusa caught him smiling at nothing.</p><p>Although Atsumu finds the crime show they're watching interesting, the length of one episode is also too long for him and his less than mediocre attention span. It also doesn't help that Sakusa's just so <em>warm</em>. He can feel his eyelids getting heavier and he struggles to stay awake as the voices on the television lull him to sleep.</p><p>The thought of telling Sakusa that he wants to go home and sleep in his room that's two doors down doesn't cross his mind at all. The next thing he knows is him opening his eyes in a dim living room that isn't his own.</p><p>He was sitting in an upright position beside Sakusa but now Atsumu wakes up while he's lying down on the sofa with a thin blanket covering him. Atsumu imagines Sakusa putting it on him while he slept instead of waking him up and telling him to go home, and he feels warm all over.</p><p>
  <em>Huh. Who would've thought that he'd let me sleep.</em>
</p><p>And then he feels mortified because he doesn't know what kind of face he makes while sleeping and he quickly wipes his mouth with the back of his hand to check if he had drooled. He can't help but let out a small sigh of relief upon finding his mouth dry.</p><p>"Oh. You're awake," Sakusa says at the entrance of the kitchen, holding a glass of water. He's backlit from the kitchen lights for a moment before he shuts it off, shrouding them in darkness.</p><p>Atsumu hears another <em>click</em> and the living room lights up. He notices that Sakusa has changed into his pyjamas and Atsumu checks his phone, immediately feeling bad because it's so late.</p><p>"Sorry I fell asleep. Ya could've woken me up an' I wouldn't be mad." Atsumu stands up and folds the blanket nicely before placing it over the back of the sofa. "Thanks for the blanket too, Omi-omi."</p><p>Sakusa gives him a wry smile. "It's no problem. You looked tired so I just let you sleep and I knew you'd wake up eventually."</p><p>"Well, I'll get goin' now 'cause it's kinda late. Sorry for keepin' ya up, by the way." Atsumu makes his way to the front door and when he turns around to bid Sakusa goodnight, he feels a sense of deja vu.</p><p>They're standing close to each other, close enough that if Atsumu wants to, he could reach out and touch Sakusa.</p><p>"Goodnight, Miya."</p><p>As if his body is moving on its own, Atsumu's hand lifts and his knuckles brush Sakusa's cheekbone and it's only when Sakusa stiffens does Atsumu realise what he has done and he snatches his hand away, as if he had been burned.</p><p>"Shit! Sorry, Omi-kun. I dunno what I was thinkin' when I did that," Atsumu implores, his eyes wide.</p><p><em>Why why why did I do that</em>, Atsumu laments internally.</p><p>But then Sakusa starts chuckling. "I guess now we're even, Miya. I touched you first and you just touched me. And it's okay. You said it yourself that it's normal for friends to do this, right?"</p><p>If Atsumu wasn't panicking then he would've been able to detect the slight teasing undertone but he took Sakusa's words at face value. </p><p>"Right, right. I said that, didn't I." Atsumu says, relief clear in his voice, managing to convince himself that he had touched Sakusa on a whim, because friends do this all the time.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, MSBY's winning streak comes to an abrupt end after today's match. It's disappointing for the team, even though one loss doesn't mean that they're automatically out of the competition.</p><p>For Atsumu, this loss feels like a representation of all his shortcomings as a setter. It's irrational and he knows that he shouldn't be punishing himself but he can't help it. He <em>hates</em> losing and although he's aware that losing is part of life itself, it still sucks.</p><p><em>If only</em>. If only he'd done this or done that better or if only he hadn't done something, then maybe they could've won. There's no use crying over spilled milk but he's too frustrated with himself to filter his thoughts.</p><p>Atsumu's quieter than usual as his mind grows louder and louder with negative thoughts. His movements seem mechanical, almost as if he's on autopilot and it worries Sakusa.</p><p>But Sakusa's concern only lasts so long until it transforms into irritation. They're back in their shared hotel room after dinner and all of Sakusa's attempts to start a conversation with Atsumu has been deflected so far and he just hates looking at Atsumu's dejected expression.</p><p>Atsumu doesn't notice the changes around him, of course and he wordlessly gets ready for bed first. He checks his messages while Sakusa's in the bathroom and all of them are encouraging, telling him to cheer up because they still did great during the match.</p><p>He replies to all the well-intentioned messages with the same text and puts his phone on flight mode because he's really not in the mood to talk to anyone tonight.</p><p>Sakusa comes out of the bathroom and their eyes meet and hold.</p><p>"What, Omi-kun?"</p><p>"You need to get over yourself," Sakusa says bluntly.</p><p>"<em>What</em>."</p><p>"You heard me. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. It's <em>not</em> your fault that we lost today. Volleyball's a team sport and just because you're the setter, it doesn't mean that you get to blame yourself for everything."</p><p>"Shut up. Ya don't know what I'm feelin' right now." Atsumu clenches his fists, feeling annoyed that Sakusa's calling him out.</p><p>Sakusa scoffs. "Please, Miya. You're so easy to read. What-- you think you're a failure now because of what happened today? I know you've lost before in high school so why are you acting like this now? It's pathetic."</p><p>Atsumu leaps out of his bed and closes in on Sakusa. "Pathetic?" Atsumu spits out, his sadness rapidly dissolving into anger. "So what if I'm pathetic, huh? What's it to ya?! I'm just mad that we lost!"</p><p>"Then be mad! I'm mad too that we lost but we can't do anything else but move on and do better in the future. Why the fuck were you moping around? It's annoying!" Sakusa's back hits the wall and Atsumu cages him in.</p><p>"I'm mad at myself! I should've practiced harder or found a different way to get past their attacks. When I think back to the match, all I can see is me not doin' my best an' it pisses me off. I didn't want to let any of ya down. I just didn't want ya to be disappointed in me!" Unwillingly, tears slide down his cheeks and Atsumu quickly turns away, feeling embarrassed that he let himself get so emotional in front of Sakusa.</p><p>"Fuck. Nevermind." Atsumu moves towards the door, wanting to get out of the room as fast as possible but Sakusa suddenly grips his wrist tightly.</p><p>"Miya, stop. <em>Please</em>." Still holding onto his wrist, Sakusa appears in front of him and Atsumu looks at him with a guarded expression and doesn't say anything.</p><p>"I-- Let's sit down first, hm." Atsumu lets himself get pulled onto his bed and they sit next to each other.</p><p>Sakusa still hasn't let go of his wrist but his grip has loosened. "I'm sorry. I was an asshole to you and I invalidated your feelings. You're not pathetic for feeling the way you do. In fact, it's normal to feel that way. I didn't want you to be sad anymore but I did the complete opposite. I'm sorry I keep hurting you unintentionally."</p><p>Atsumu stares at Sakusa incredulously before saying, "D'ya think that makes sense to me? Yer tellin' me that ya don't mean what ya said <em>at all</em>? When ya called me pathetic, sure I was mad but most of all, you sounded like ya were sick of me an' it made me really sad, Omi-kun."</p><p>Sakusa looks away in shame. "I know. I have no excuses. I'm sorry, Miya. I truly am."</p><p>The silence between them stretches and seemingly, so does the distance between them. Despite sitting beside one another, Atsumu feels as if Sakusa's pulling away from him or maybe <em>he</em> is the one pulling away. Either way, it hurts him more than the words that Sakusa had said.</p><p>Atsumu sighs in exasperation. "Omi-kun.. I'm tired. Let's agree to not do this anymore."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Sakusa sounds alarmed.</p><p>"I hate it when we fight so let's just <em>not</em> anymore. I know we don't see eye to eye sometimes and we're both assholes but let's promise to not say hurtful things that we don't mean to each other anymore, 'kay?"</p><p>Sakusa releases Atsumu's hands and holds up his pinky finger, the first time in a very long time. "Okay, I promise."</p><p>They link their pinky fingers and seal their promise, small smiles on their faces.</p><p>"So. What do we do now?" Sakusa asks.</p><p>"Sleep? What else?"</p><p>Sakusa suddenly frowns and asks seriously, "Can I hug you first? It's just-- It feels appropriate right now."</p><p>"Sure, Omi-kun," Atsumu replies with a small laugh, feeling a little thrown off by the quick change in mood. They both stand up and wrap their arms around each other.</p><p>The height difference between them isn't significant but Atsumu still manages to take advantage of it by leaning his head on Sakusa's shoulder. Atsumu breathes in Sakusa's clean scent and he feels a sense of comfort wash over him.</p><p><em>This is nice</em>, a small voice in Atsumu's head comments.</p><p>"This is nice," Sakusa voices out and it makes Atsumu jolt.</p><p>"Hm, I guess so."</p><p>Eventually, Atsumu feels Sakusa's arms start to pull away and they end their hug. Atsumu secretly hopes that they'll be able to touch each other more casually from now on because there's just something about Sakusa's touches that make him feel good.</p><p>"Wait. Just 'cause we hugged, it doesn't mean that I'm not still upset over the things ya said to me, asshole."</p><p>Sakusa sighs regretfully. "You're not the only one. I'll make it up to you, somehow."</p><p>"Is that another promise?"</p><p>"No, it's a responsibility."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>oof i had massive writer's block while writing this chapter so i'm sorry if this chapter is kinda :/</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Atsumu and Sakusa's friendship undergoes another change after their last fight.</p><p>To onlookers, they don't act too different around and with each other but when they're alone, Sakusa's more attentive and less of an asshole to Atsumu. In general, Atsumu thinks that Sakusa's putting in more effort to understand him better and in turn, Atsumu does his best to continue learning about Sakusa.</p><p>It's a slow and gradual process whereby each of them accumulates virtues about the other. Atsumu also believes that Sakusa has lowered some of his barriers and is more comfortable with sharing parts of himself that he would usually keep hidden.</p><p>Atsumu has an inkling that being emotionally vulnerable helps the both of them to feel more physically comfortable and confident around each other as well. A fist bump here and there, sure hands that rest on shoulders, fingers that brush against warm skin.</p><p>Sometimes, they're attracted to each other like a moth to a flame but most of the time now, their touches come naturally and they don't come up with reasons why anymore because there's just no need to; as if they're saying, <em>Who else could it be but you?</em></p><p>They've been rather good friends for a while but lately, Atsumu feels that they're growing closer and strengthening their friendship at a much quicker pace than before.</p><p>"Alright, guys! It's the last game before we get two weeks of break so as always, let's do our best and leave the court with no regrets," Meian tells them with an excited glimmer in his eyes.</p><p>It's nearing the end of the year and everyone's excited to get a little break to go home and celebrate the holidays with their loved ones.</p><p>Atsumu winces when he thinks back to the promise he made to his parents about visiting them more often. He figures that it's not too late to fulfill his duty as a filial son. At least if he gets nagged at by his mum, Osamu will be in the same boat with him.</p><p>In the end, they win the match and leave the court in high spirits.</p><p>"What are you guys doing for the holidays?" Sakusa asks as they walk back to their hotel rooms.</p><p>"I'm going home with Kageyama and we're probably just gonna take turns staying at each other's homes," Hinata says brightly, his eyes shining with so much love Atsumu thinks it's almost disgusting if he didn't want anyone to look at him that way.</p><p>"Nice, Shou-chan! Akaashi and I are doing the same thing too!" Bokuto high fives Hinata. "I think he'll be working up until Christmas but as long as we're together, I don't care."</p><p>"Ah, young love," Atsumu says wistfully.</p><p>"But I'm older than you, Tsum-tsum."</p><p>"..That's even more depressing. Why didn't I get a highschool sweetheart like ya an' Shou-chan," Atsumu whines and pats his head. "Is it 'cause of my hair, maybe? Is this hairstyle not cool anymore?"</p><p>"It's never been cool, loser," Sakusa replies and Atsumu scowls at him.</p><p>"Anyway! Tsumu-san, are you going home too? With Osamu-san?"</p><p>"Yeah, probably. But I think Samu's workin' until new year's eve so I'll probably go back earlier myself. I dunno yet."</p><p>It's only when Atsumu and Sakusa enter their shared room that he realises Sakusa didn't say if he has any plans.</p><p>"Omi-omi, what're ya doin' for the holidays?"</p><p>"Well, nothing I guess."</p><p>"What, why?"</p><p>"My parents have always travelled overseas during the holidays and left me alone at home and it's no different this year, so I don't really have anything planned," Sakusa says like he's reading a passage from a textbook and imagining a young Sakusa in an empty house makes Atsumu's heart ache.</p><p>"Oh. But ya have a cousin, right? Have ya never been over to their house for the holidays?"</p><p>"They don't celebrate the festivities but Komori does stay over with me a few days so we could usher in the new year together, at least."</p><p>"Are ya doin' that this year too?"</p><p>"Maybe," is all Sakusa says before he shuts the door to the bathroom, leaving Atsumu to run after a train of thought.</p><p>
  <em>What if I invite him to stay with us? Suna's gonna be there too for a few days. Or what if I come back to celebrate the new year with him? Or would he prefer Christmas? Does he even celebrate Christmas?</em>
</p><p>Atsumu decides that he'll just ask Sakusa these questions once he's out of the shower.</p><p>"Shower's yours." Sakusa steps out and rubs his hair dry with a fluffy towel.</p><p>"That was quick."</p><p>"Was it?" Sakusa checks the time on his phone and glances at Atsumu. "It wasn't. Stop dawdling and just go shower. You're stinking up the room."</p><p>"I bet ya secretly like how I smell. Ya know, I read somewhere that some women like the smell of their partners' sweat an' it turns them on or somethin'." With every word Atsumu speaks, his grin grows wider and the grimace on Sakusa's face grows deeper.</p><p>"That's gross as fuck. And you read some really weird shit, Miya."</p><p>"I don't discriminate against reading materials." Atsumu shrugs casually. "I can't help it if I'm well-read and yer not."</p><p>Sakusa just shakes his head slowly like he's disappointed but not surprised. "You're not as funny as you think you are, you know."</p><p>Sakusa's already under his blanket and reading his book by the time Atsumu walks out of the bathroom. Atsumu sits beside Sakusa's legs on the bed and rests a hand on what he assumes is Sakusa's shins.</p><p>"Hey, Omi-omi."</p><p>"Yes?" Sakusa places his book face down on his lap.</p><p>"I know ya said that yer cousin's family doesn't celebrate it but d'ya celebrate Christmas?"</p><p>"No, I don't. Do you?"</p><p>"Nah, not really. I mean, my family just treats it like another holiday an' we usually have dinner together an' that's it. We don't give each other presents or anythin' like that."</p><p>"Okay," Sakusa drawls. "Is there a reason why we're on this topic?"</p><p>Atsumu gives him a sheepish smile. "Uh, well. I just thought that I'd invite ya to come home with me for the holidays."</p><p>Sakusa stills and his eyes widen slightly in surprise. "What?"</p><p>"Yeah. Would ya like to come home with me? Or if ya feel uncomfortable staying in a stranger's house, then would it be alright if I stayed with ya 'til I have to go back with Samu?" Sakusa seems to be at a loss for words and Atsumu can understand why. Heck, Atsumu wouldn't even know how to respond if he received a similar proposition.</p><p>"It's okay if ya say no 'cause I know this is kinda unexpected," Atsumu says, his cheeks reddening under the intensity of Sakusa's stare.</p><p>"..When do you need my answer? I'd like to think about it." Sakusa finally says, his fingers skimming over the spine of his book.</p><p>Atsumu hadn't thought that far ahead and he scrambles to give an appropriate time frame. "By Christmas eve should be fine, I think."</p><p>"Okay, I'll let you know as soon as possible. Thanks for the invitation, Miya." Sakusa sends him a smile that warms him from the inside out.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Over the next few days, the MSBY group chat is flooded with messages from their team members who are going back to their families, wishing everyone a happy holiday. Meian also reminds everyone to not slack off and to keep up their practice during their break, as they have a match lined up early in the new year.</p><p>“See you guys next year!” Hinata waves at Atsumu and Sakusa as he waits for the elevator doors to slide close.</p><p>“See ya, Shou-chan! Tell Kageyama-kun I said hi!”</p><p>“Okay!”</p><p>“Have a safe trip home.”</p><p>“Thanks, Omi-san!”</p><p>The elevator doors shut and the pair walks back to Atsumu’s unit, where they’ve been hanging out doing nothing too exciting. Bokuto had already left yesterday and with Hinata’s departure just now, Atsumu thinks that their floor has suddenly gotten too quiet.</p><p>And then he remembers that Sakusa was probably all by himself last year too and it breaks his heart a little.</p><p>Christmas eve is in a couple of days and Sakusa hasn’t given Atsumu an answer yet but Atsumu doesn’t push him for it because he doesn’t want to make it seem as if he’s pressuring Sakusa to go. When Atsumu had told Osamu last night about his decision to invite Sakusa to stay over with them, Osamu only said, “Congratulations, ya finally grew some balls!”</p><p>Atsumu had gritted his teeth. “Whatever yer thinkin’ ‘bout, that’s not why I asked him ya dumbass. Anyway--”</p><p>“Oho! So ya asked him ‘cause yer datin’? I was only thinkin’ that ya invited a friend over but ya said that isn’t the case. How curious!”</p><p>Atsumu groaned in annoyance. “Oh my god, yer the <em>worst</em>!”</p><p>After that phone call, Atsumu had immediately regretted his decision to invite Sakusa over because he forgot that the menace that is his twin brother would also be staying in their childhood home.</p><p>And when Atsumu had brought up his concerns with Sakusa earlier today, Sakusa didn’t seem bothered at all, which made Atsumu think, <em>Oh no, I’ve been had!</em> Because of course, Sakusa would get along with Osamu and Suna since he has been frequenting Miya Onigiri for a pretty long time now.</p><p>“Miya, you still wanna keep watching this?” Sakusa’s referring to the sub-par sci-fi show that they’ve been watching for the past couple of hours.</p><p>Atsumu’s about to say something along the line of “If ya wanna keep watchin’ it then I don’t mind,” but then he realises that although Sakusa sounds nonchalant, his eyes are glazed over in boredom and his expression shows that he’s clearly hoping that Atsumu will say no.</p><p>“Nah. Let’s watch somethin’ else.”</p><p>They settle on a show called The Good Place and basically binge watch it until their hunger forces them to pause the show and procure some much-needed sustenance. Atsumu and Sakusa cook themselves a satisfying dinner and they talk about the ingenuity of The Good Place.</p><p>“Which one of us would end up in The Good Place?” Atsumu wonders aloud.</p><p>“That’s easy: both of us. You, because you’re an asshole and me, because I’m an asshole.”</p><p>Atsumu smirks at him. “We’re a match made in The Good Place, eh Omi-kun? What about Shou-chan and Bokkun?”</p><p>Sakusa looks at him like he shouldn’t even be asking in the first place. “They’re angels, Miya. Of course they aren’t gonna end up in The Good Place.”</p><p>Atsumu chuckles because he’s right and there’s no other possible answer.</p><p>They continue watching the show until past midnight and when Atsumu looks over, he finds Sakusa sound asleep with his neck in an uncomfortable position. Atsumu turns off the television and just sits in the silence for a while, contemplating if he should wake Sakusa up now or wait for him to wake up on his own.</p><p>Having made his decision, Atsumu gently shakes Sakusa awake. “Omi-kun, wake up.”</p><p>It takes several tries but eventually, Sakusa’s eyes open and he looks around blearily before landing on Atsumu who’s sitting beside him.</p><p>“Oh. I fell asleep..” Sakusa’s voice is a little rough and Atsumu feels a rush of endearment for the man in front of him.</p><p>“Yep. C’mon, I’ll walk ya home.”</p><p>Sakusa rolls his eyes at Atsumu. “It’s literally two doors away. I’ll be fine.”</p><p>“Mm, but I won’t be unless I see ya lock yer door with my own two eyes.” This earns a soft laugh from Sakusa, causing a fond smile to bloom on Atsumu’s face.</p><p>“You’re so dramatic. But fine, let’s go.”</p><p>It only takes a few moments to reach Sakusa’s front door and Atsumu waits for Sakusa to unlock his door and get in.</p><p>“What’s wrong, Omi-kun?” Atsumu questions Sakusa’s back when he doesn’t hear the telltale sound of the door unlocking.</p><p>Sakusa turns around with a serious expression and before Atsumu has the chance to be alarmed, Sakusa asks, “Is the invitation still on the table?”</p><p>It takes a second for Atsumu to realise what Sakusa’s referring to and he can’t help but feel hope fluttering in his heart. “Yeah, it is.”</p><p>“Okay, then I accept your invitation.”</p><p>Happiness makes a grin break out on Atsumu’s face. “Okay, Omi-kun.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The next morning, Atsumu calls his mother to let her know that he’s bringing a friend home to stay with them for the holidays. As he expected, his mother is ecstatic and she immediately starts asking questions about this friend of his.</p><p>"Who's your friend? Do we know them?"</p><p>"His name's Sakusa Kiyoomi an' he's a teammate. Ya might've seen him on television if ya watched any volleyball matches."</p><p>"How long is he staying with us? Do I need to prepare an additional mattress or are you perhaps sharing a bed..?" His mother trails off with a tinge of hope in her voice and it makes Atsumu want to crawl into a hole and die.</p><p>"Ugh, mum. Really? He's stayin' for as long as I'm stayin' an' <em>please</em> set up an extra mattress for him in my room."</p><p>He hears his mother sigh and gets ready for her to say, "Atsumu, when are you gonna get serious about relationships? You know your dad and I just want you to be happy and, well. We've noticed that you haven't brought anyone home to meet us so forgive me for being a little excited now that you're bringing a <em>friend</em> home."</p><p>Atsumu rubs circles on his temple as he suppresses a heavy sigh because he knows that his mother just wants the best for him and that includes him being in a happy relationship. "I know, I'm sorry. Ya know I've been busy with work an' it's hard to find time for dating.. Maybe once the season ends, I'll put myself out there or somethin'."</p><p>His mother acquiesces, dropping the subject and she asks more questions about Sakusa's food preferences or whether he has any allergies, to which Atsumu responds by saying he'll text her as soon as he finds out from Sakusa.</p><p>Then he texts Sakusa that he's going over and receives a simple <em>Okay, the door's unlocked.</em></p><p>"Omi-omi," Atsumu whines loudly once he locks the door behind him. "I think I may have made a mistake by inviting ya over to stay with my family."</p><p>"I know, you've said that so many times already," Sakusa looks at him with an unimpressed expression.</p><p>Atsumu spots the pot that Sakusa's stirring and his eyes light up. "Oh! What are ya cookin'?"</p><p>"Why? You gonna eat my food again?"</p><p>Atsumu nears Sakusa and looks into the pot. "Porridge? Why are ya eatin' porridge? Are ya sick?"</p><p>"Porridge isn't just for the sick and I just want to eat something simple," Sakusa states. "If you don't want to eat it, no one's forcing you to."</p><p>Atsumu brings out two bowls. "I'll eat it, Omi-omi."</p><p>"You freeloader," Sakusa mumbles but they both know that Sakusa cooked for two.</p><p>Between spoonfuls of porridge, Sakusa asks Atsumu about his parents again and announces that he needs to buy something for Atsumu's parents as a gesture of goodwill and gratitude.</p><p>"Ya don't have to do that, Omi-omi. They won't mind."</p><p>"That might be the case but I mind. It's good manners and I'm sure they'll appreciate it. So follow me to the supermarket and we can both pick something out."</p><p>"Me too?"</p><p>Sakusa scowls at Atsumu, disdain etched on his face. "You're sounding more and more like an ungrateful brat, Miya. Of course you need to buy something! You haven't been back to see your parents in months and you're an adult with a good job, so just spend some money on them."</p><p>The feeling of shame is instantaneous and Atsumu's expression crumples. "Yer right. I should send them some money from my paycheck every month too. Wait, I think I have their account details stored somewhere in my phone.."</p><p>After Atsumu proudly declares that he has transferred a certain amount of money to his parents' savings account, Sakusa also advises him to set up a direct debit authorisation so that his parents will receive a fixed amount of money every month, similar to a monthly allowance.</p><p>"Ah, who knew that giving would make a person feel so good! Thanks for yer help, Omi-kun."</p><p>"Sure. Now, let's get moving and buy something for your parents."</p><p>The shopping trip is nothing short of a nightmare for the both of them but more so for Sakusa because there's so many people <em>everywhere</em> and it nearly triggers him, but when Atsumu grips his hand like it's the most natural thing in the world and pulls him close, he starts to feel more secure.</p><p>Atsumu doesn't let go the entire time and Sakusa doesn't feel the need to pull away.</p><p>In the end, Sakusa buys some fresh fruits while Atsumu purchases some herbal tonics that he knows his parents will like.</p><p>When they have to part ways for the night, they realise that they're still holding hands and it seems as though both reluctantly let go. Suddenly, they can't look each other in the eyes.</p><p>"Thanks for what you did back there. Could you tell that I was on the verge of.. panicking?" Atsumu detects a hint of insecurity in Sakusa's voice and his heart goes out to him.</p><p>"I could kinda tell. But Omi-omi, ya don't have to feel like yer weak 'cause that's what havin' friends are for. We help each other when times get tough."</p><p>Sakusa smiles at him gratefully and Atsumu feels his heart growing to twice its size. "Yeah, you're right."</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>On the short train ride to Atsumu’s hometown, they sit beside each other with Sakusa in the window seat. Atsumu glances at Sakusa ever so often as they near their stop and he feels as if he’s more nervous than Sakusa who’s meeting his parents for the first time. It’s nonsensical and Sakusa has to tell him to chill the fuck out.</p><p>By the time they arrive at the doorstep of Atsumu’s childhood home, Atsumu has pretty much got himself together and he looks at Sakusa before unlocking the front door.</p><p>“Ready?”</p><p>“As ready as you are.”</p><p>“I’m givin’ ya a last chance to back out. Ya takin’ it or not?”</p><p>“No, Miya,” Sakusa says emphatically.</p><p>Atsumu opens the door and removes his shoes, telling Sakusa to do the same before they venture into the main hallway. Atsumu can distinctly hear sounds coming from the living room and the kitchen and he calls out, “Mum! Dad! I’m home!”</p><p>Sakusa stands stoically by his side as they wait for the sound of footsteps to approach them.</p><p>Atsumu’s mother greets them first, hugging Atsumu tightly and fussing over him for a while before warmly saying to Sakusa, “We’re so happy to have you here, Sakusa-kun.”</p><p>“Thank you for having me over, Miya-san.” Sakusa bows politely and Atsumu’s mother is quick to correct him.</p><p>“Oh, there’s no need to be so formal with me. Please call me oba-san.”</p><p>“Um, okay. These fruits are for you, oba-san.” Sakusa passes her a basket of fresh fruits and she beams at him, surprise in her eyes.</p><p>“Oh, goodness. These fruits look wonderful, thank you so much Sakusa-kun.” This prompts Atsumu to give her the tonics that he bought for them as well, and she absolutely lights up.</p><p>His mother gives him another hug and from the corner of his eye, Atsumu catches Sakusa smirking at him as if saying, <em>See? I was right.</em></p><p>Next, Atsumu’s father also greets them by giving Atsumu a short hug and welcoming Sakusa to their home. With the greetings and introductions out of the way, they’re finally allowed to put their bags away in Atsumu’s room. Prior to this, Atsumu had told Sakusa that they have to share a room because they don’t have any extra rooms for guests and luckily, Sakusa hadn’t objected to it.</p><p>“Your parents are nice,” Sakusa comments once they’re in Atsumu’s room, which he just realises is much smaller than he remembers it to be.</p><p>“Yeah, I guess so,” Atsumu answers absent-mindedly as his eyes roam over his unchanged bedroom and feels kind of embarrassed for his past self that liked to put up posters of his favourite volleyball players on his walls.</p><p>“Oh, hey. I had this poster too,” Sakusa says and chuckles. Knowing that Sakusa was similar to him is rather reassuring.</p><p>Atsumu wants to help his mother out in the kitchen and tells Sakusa that he can rest up before dinner but Sakusa insists on helping as well. But Atsumu’s mother doesn’t accept their good intentions and kicks them out of the kitchen, telling them to do something else like join Atsumu’s father in the living room.</p><p>The men talk about volleyball until they’re called into the dining room and Atsumu and Sakusa help to bring the dishes out. Dinner at the Miya household is a happy affair as they talk about all sorts of topics and before his mother can instruct him to do the dishes, Atsumu volunteers first. It makes his parents look at him like he had grown a second head and Sakusa can’t hold back his snicker.</p><p>“Did I hear that right? He volunteered, didn’t he?” Atsumu’s mother asks Sakusa.</p><p>“Yes, oba-san. Atsumu and I will do the dishes.”</p><p>She happily lets them, patting Atsumu on the back for <em>finally</em> growing up well.</p><p>Once they’re alone in the kitchen, Sakusa makes a <em>tch</em> sound and shakes his head at Atsumu. “I was right again. You <em>are</em> an ungrateful brat.”</p><p>“Hey! I <em>was</em> an ungrateful brat. I’m not anymore, ‘kay?” Atsumu mumbles that last part, remembering all the times he was lazy and hated doing the dishes; he was deplorable.</p><p>They then join his parents in the living room but his parents soon retire to their room, bidding Atsumu and Sakusa goodnight. Atsumu had been rather worried about Sakusa since they arrived because he wasn’t sure if Sakusa would like or hate being here but as he looks at Sakusa’s calm expression, he figures that it’s not too bad for Sakusa.</p><p>Still, he has to ask, “Omi-kun, are ya feelin’ comfortable here so far? I mean, I know that this might be out of yer comfort zone so if ya feel like leavin’, then just let me know.”</p><p>Sakusa looks at him and says truthfully, “Thanks for asking but don’t worry, I’m fine. We can stay here until we’re supposed to leave.”</p><p>Atsumu gets the shower after Sakusa so when he comes back into his room, Sakusa’s mattress is already laid out on the floor beside his own. He walks around it and plops down on his mattress so that he can wear socks to sleep. It’s winter right now and it’s cold enough to warrant heated floors and there’s just something he finds so comforting about curling up under his blanket with warm socked feet.</p><p>Sakusa reminds him that he should’ve moisturised his face and lips first before touching his feet.</p><p>“Oh, right. Guess I got too excited,” Atsumu smiles at him sheepishly. “Won’t ya help me, Omi-kun?”</p><p>“No, I’m good.”</p><p>The next morning, Atsumu and Sakusa wake up earlier than his parents because their bodies are so used to waking up early for practice. Atsumu makes them pancakes for breakfast and leaves a stack aside for his parents. When his parents awake, they’re delighted by the fact that Atsumu made them breakfast, his mother citing that it’s been much too long since the last time she ate something Atsumu cooked.</p><p>After a delicious lunch that was cooked by Atsumu’s mother, Sakusa expresses that he would feel awkward staying at home the entire day but Atsumu assures him that it’s alright. In fact, his mother would likely feel happy to see him at home.</p><p>“Where would we go anyway? It’s Christmas so there’s probably gonna be crowds everywhere,” Atsumu says. “An’ besides, I think I’ll be meetin’ up with my high school friends tomorrow or some time this week so today’ll be the only day that we can laze around doin’ nothin’.”</p><p>“..Well, alright then.”</p><p>So they spend most of Christmas day being couch potatoes and on their phones replying in their MSBY group chat. It’s so rare for Atsumu to get a full day just to waste it away that he has forgotten how lazy he can get when he doesn’t have to do anything.</p><p>When Sakusa starts hearing sounds from the kitchen, he forces Atsumu to get up so they can help Atsumu’s mother with cooking dinner. However, just like yesterday, his mother tells them to leave the kitchen because she doesn’t like it when people try to help and end up messing things up, pointedly looking at Atsumu.</p><p>“Why am I not surprised anymore,” Sakusa snickers at Atsumu who feels like he was just stabbed by needles in the heart.</p><p>Dinner turns out great and Sakusa applauds Atsumu’s mother’s cooking skills. “This is probably one of the best meals I have ever had, oba-san.”</p><p>Atsumu and his father enthusiastically agree, piling on the compliments because she deserves it.</p><p>And just like that, Christmas day comes to a pleasant end. At night when they’re both lying in their own beds, Sakusa interrupts the silence between them.</p><p>“Atsumu.” The single word startles Atsumu who turns around in bed to face Sakusa, only to find Sakusa already staring at him.</p><p>Atsumu doesn’t know how Sakusa had managed to avoid saying his given name until now when there are two people sharing the same surname in this house. It must be a talent.</p><p>“Yeah, Omi-kun?”</p><p>Sakusa’s dark and honest eyes are hypnotising and they draw Atsumu in. “I just want to let you know that I’m grateful for you.”</p><p>The words do something strange to Atsumu and they make him feel as if he’s being wrapped in a loving embrace and as if liquid gold is coursing through his veins at the moment. “I feel like my heart’s gonna burst, Omi-kun.”</p><p>Sakusa rolls his eyes and starts laughing, the kind that shows that he’s genuinely humoured. “Really? That's ridiculous.”</p><p>In a flash, Atsumu sits up and pushes himself closer to Sakusa to press one of Sakusa’s hands against his chest. “I’m serious.”</p><p>Sakusa’s expression freezes and Atsumu can feel the warmth from Sakusa’s palm.</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>Those dark eyes pull Atsumu in deeper and he doesn’t realise that he’s leaning forward until the tip of his nose brushes against Sakusa’s. Impossibly, Atsumu’s heart starts beating harder and he can hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears.</p><p>“Omi-kun?” Atsumu whispers, afraid that he’ll break whatever’s going on between them.</p><p>“Yes?” Sakusa breathes out.</p><p>With a burst of courage that he didn’t know he had, Atsumu says, “I really wanna kiss ya, Omi-kun.”</p><p>Sakusa lightly gasps and there's a glimmer in his eyes. "Oh."</p><p>The spark in Sakusa’s eyes burst into flames and the hand resting on Atsumu’s t-shirt clenches, pulling him forward and he lands on Sakusa with an <em>oof</em>!</p><p>They barely avoid head-butting each other and after a moment of hesitance, Atsumu presses his lips against Sakusa’s. </p><p>Sakusa’s lips are soft and slightly cool to the touch but it quickly warms up as they continue kissing and Atsumu learns that Sakusa’s a great kisser.</p><p>They part and Atsumu sees Sakusa’s flushed face and red and swollen lips. It makes Atsumu ridiculously happy and he adjusts himself so that he’s in a more comfortable position and one of Sakusa’s hands snake around to rest on his nape.</p><p>This time, Sakusa initiates the kiss and deepens it. Atsumu can faintly taste the mint from their toothpaste on Sakusa’s tongue and he faintly thinks that he could spend an eternity kissing Sakusa and still crave the taste of him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>we're almost at the end hehe</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Atsumu wakes up on the day after Christmas and a faint smile appears on his face when he remembers what happened last night.</p><p>They had spent a long time kissing until they had gotten their fill of each other. Well, in actuality it was more like Sakusa telling him that they should stop unless he wanted things to progress further.</p><p>And the thought of doing more than kissing with his parents sound asleep in the room down the hall was enough to make him shudder.</p><p>Carefully, Atsumu tiptoes around the room so he doesn't wake Sakusa up and he leaves the room to first brush his teeth before heading into the kitchen, where he greets his parents as they have breakfast.</p><p>"Good morning, Atsumu. I made some breakfast for you and Sakusa-kun too," his mother says.</p><p>"Thanks, mum."</p><p>They're all dressed up for work and a memory of walking into the kitchen to eat breakfast with his parents before going to school surfaces in his mind. The sight before him is familiar yet different, changed by the passage of time but unchanged due to his parents' tenacity.</p><p>Despite Atsumu being in his 20s, his parents are still fairly young and they still have around a decade left before retirement since they married young and had Atsumu and Osamu soon after.</p><p>"Do you have any plans today?"</p><p>"Yeah, I'm meetin' up with some friends for lunch," he tells his mother.</p><p>"Just you?"</p><p>"Oh. No, I think Omi-kun's comin' along too."</p><p>His mother nods and smiles at him. "Have fun and we'll see you boys tonight."</p><p>Atsumu wishes his parents a good day at work as they leave and he goes back to his room to check if Sakusa's awake yet. To his surprise, the room is empty and he turns around to look for Sakusa, heading to the bathroom first.</p><p>He knocks twice on the door. "Omi-kun, are ya in there?"</p><p>"Yes." The sound is muffled through the wooden door.</p><p>"Meet me in the kitchen when yer done!"</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>In the meanwhile, Atsumu heats up the Japanese style breakfast that his mother had prepared for them. A few moments later, he hears footsteps approaching him and he meets Sakusa's clear gaze.</p><p>There's a beat of silence and Atsumu can tell that what happened last night is still fresh in their minds then he smiles softly at Sakusa. He thought that it would be at least slightly awkward between them this morning because their kiss happened so suddenly, but everything's just as they used to be.</p><p>"G'mornin', Omi-kun. Mum made us breakfast."</p><p>Sakusa glances at the food spread out on the table. "Good morning. I reckon that she's gone to work?"</p><p>"Yep."</p><p>"Okay, then I'll thank her when she gets back."</p><p>"Sure. Come on, let's eat while the food’s still hot."</p><p>Before Atsumu can sit down to begin his meal, Sakusa abruptly asks, "Have you brushed your teeth?"</p><p>Atsumu throws Sakusa an insulted look. "Duh. I'm not a heathen."</p><p>"Good." Sakusa tilts Atsumu's face towards him and plants a kiss on his lips and though it was unexpected, Atsumu is quick to return the short kiss.</p><p>Atsumu doesn't know what it is about Sakusa's kisses that make him so flustered. He's blushing like a schoolgirl with her first crush. "W-what was that for?"</p><p>"I just felt like it," Sakusa simply states and it makes Atsumu's heart soar in his chest.</p><p>"Hm, 'kay then." Atsumu kisses him again like it's a challenge and stops before it gets too heated. For some reason, Sakusa looks immensely pleased with himself.</p><p>The day passes by quickly.</p><p>Most of Atsumu's friends are busy working in the city as they were not given an extensive break like him so he could meet up with only a few of them. And he's glad that Aran is one of them.</p><p>They meet in front of a restaurant that they used to frequent back when they were still in high school. Prior to this, Atsumu had notified his friends that Sakusa was coming along and although they were questioning and teasing him in the group chat, he chose to ignore their messages. </p><p>And now he pretends to not see the meaningful looks his friends throw him when they see him standing beside Sakusa. Luckily, they don't push him to say anything.</p><p>"Hey, Atsumu!" Aran gives Atsumu a short hug, clapping him on his back. "Long time no see." There's mirth dancing in Aran's eyes because they just met on the court the other day.</p><p>"Aran, dude, it's been too long!" Atsumu plays along, earning eye rolls from his other friends.</p><p>After exchanging greetings and introducing Sakusa to his friends, the group moves to find a table. Since it's lunch time, most of the tables are occupied and Atsumu glances at Sakusa worriedly but Sakusa imperceptibly shakes his head, telling him not to worry about him.</p><p>Time passes by quickly when they're catching up with each other and reminiscing their high school days. But they also try to include Sakusa in their conversations as much as possible so that he doesn't feel left out.</p><p>At the end of it, Aran and the rest enthusiastically agree to practice with Atsumu and Sakusa one of these days before they have to part ways and return to the city.</p><p>Throughout the day, Atsumu didn't feel the urge to discuss with Sakusa about their kiss and what it means for their friendship because it didn't feel like the right time to bring it up, but after dinner, they retire to their room and suddenly the space feels too small for them.</p><p>Atsumu doesn't <em>want</em> to talk about it but he knows that he <em>should</em> at least mention it.</p><p>Before he can say anything, Sakusa abruptly stands up. "I'm gonna shower first, if that's okay."</p><p>"Oh. Yeah, sure Omi-kun." Atsumu inwardly deflates but he doesn't show it.</p><p>Hesitating at the door, Sakusa seems to have read Atsumu's true feelings and says, "We'll talk about.. <em>that</em> after we've both showered, okay?"</p><p>Subconsciously, Atsumu's back straightens and he nods at Sakusa. "Yeah, sounds like a good plan."</p><p>Now they're sitting opposite each other and while Atsumu had collected and arranged his thoughts and figured out what to say while he was in the shower, he still finds it difficult to start the conversation.</p><p>“Do we <em>really</em> have to talk ‘bout it?” Atsumu finally says and Sakusa sends him an unimpressed look.</p><p>“Yes. It’s better to clarify things now before they become misunderstandings in the future.”</p><p>Atsumu’s stomach is in knots as he musters up the courage to ask his first question. He feels more nervous than he was during his first audition or at the MSBY tryouts because he’s so unprepared for this.</p><p>He thinks that it shouldn’t be this difficult to ask a simple question consisting of five words.</p><p>“D’ya like me, Omi-kun?”</p><p>Now that he has said it, the anticipation of Sakusa’s answer causes his anxiety to spike and the knots in his stomach grows tighter. He doesn’t know what he wants more, for Sakusa to answer or to not.</p><p>“What? Isn’t it obvious?” Sakusa looks dumbfounded and Atsumu feels trepidation in his veins.</p><p>“..What is?”</p><p>“Of course I like you. I thought I was being really obvious with my feelings.”</p><p>“Ya were?” Sakusa looks slightly wounded and Atsumu feels a stab of guilt for being so callous.</p><p>“I mean, didn’t you notice me touching you casually more often? Or how I’d invited you over just for the both of us to hang out?”</p><p>Wait. “But I thought those are things friends normally do.”</p><p>The frown on Sakusa’s face deepens. “So were you asking me whether I like you as a friend.. Or as more than a friend?”</p><p>Atsumu doesn’t hesitate, hope tinting his voice. “More than a friend.”</p><p>A small smile breaks out on Sakusa’s face. “My answer doesn’t change either way. I like you, both as a friend and as more than one.”</p><p>All apprehension that Atsumu feels instantly disappears and elation floods his veins. Happiness bursts out of his chest, enveloping him in a brightness that warms him. It feels right for him to say, “I like ya too, Omi-kun.”</p><p>Sakusa's smile widens and he gently holds onto Atsumu's hand. They fit perfectly. "So, are we dating now?"</p><p>"Yeah, I guess so. I wanna date ya but d'ya wanna date me, Omi-kun?"</p><p>"Yeah, I'd like that a lot."</p><hr/><p>The week at Atsumu's hometown passes by quickly and they spend most of their time outdoors practicing volleyball with Aran and some other friends of Atsumu's. Sometimes, Atsumu would bring Sakusa around to the places he used to frequent when he was younger and they would just hang around for a while.</p><p>They have dinner with Atsumu's parents every evening but nights are reserved just for Atsumu and Sakusa.</p><p>They would push their Japanese bedding on the floor together to make one large bed and lie in bed together. The first night they had done this, Atsumu discovered that Sakusa was in fact clingy when asleep and he had woken up with Sakusa's arms loosely wrapped around his torso.</p><p>Atsumu didn't mind it at all and instead he felt giddy at the fact that he's waking up with Sakusa beside him. It's the last morning they'll spend in the house alone because Osamu and Suna are coming back this evening.</p><p>He gazes fondly at Sakusa's peaceful sleeping face, feeling as if sunlight is hitting the softest parts of his heart.</p><p>Sakusa cracks his eyes open, unsurprised that Atsumu's being a creep again. </p><p>"Miya," Sakusa groans and turns away, inadvertently removing his arm from Atsumu's body. Atsumu chases his heat and follows Sakusa's movements, bringing Sakusa's back to his front.</p><p>"Yer just too pretty, Omi-kun."</p><p>"..Shut up."</p><p>They go back to sleep like that and wake up later than they usually do, their bodies warm and stomachs empty. Their lethargy makes them slow to get up but eventually they start on the daily chores after having a late breakfast.</p><p>"What time do we have to go grocery shopping?" Sakusa asks while cutting a piece of meat on his plate.</p><p>"My mum left us a pretty long list an' she said that she's comin' home a lil' earlier today, so we should go after this."</p><p>His mother's planning to cook up a feast tonight because both her sons and their partners are around and she loves to see them eating well. Although, Atsumu and Sakusa were careful to maintain their appearances the past few days, Atsumu has been getting an increased number of meaningful smiles and looks from his mother.</p><p>She definitely has a strong intuition when it comes to her children and Atsumu and Osamu have never been able to hide things from her long.</p><p>It takes Atsumu and Sakusa nearly two hours to get everything on the shopping list and his mother comes back just as they're putting away the groceries.</p><p>"Thank you for your help today, boys." She gives them a warm smile before leaving the kitchen to change out of her work clothes.</p><p>Although his mother has been rejecting their offers to help in the kitchen previously, it's still good courtesy for them to ask her anyway. To their slight surprise, his mother allows them to work in the kitchen alongside her and she immediately gives them tasks and instructions.</p><p>Luckily, Atsumu and Sakusa are no strangers to being in the kitchen and they are able to work together seamlessly so that they don't get in the way of the head chef that is Atsumu's mother.</p><p>Halfway through, Atsumu's father comes home and pokes his head in the kitchen, saying hello to them before retreating to his office, leaving the three of them to continue their idle chatter while cooking. Osamu and Suna arrive just in time for dinner and after a round of joyful greetings and warm hugs, they get to sit around the table and enjoy their meal while the food is still hot.</p><p>Since Atsumu and Sakusa helped out with the cooking, then Osamu and Suna are in charge of doing the dishes. They do it ungrudgingly and all evening, Atsumu had waited for Osamu to make some sly remarks about him and Sakusa but Osamu hadn't done anything drastic except to give them a look that says he knows what they're both up to.</p><p>Seeing his mother giving him meaningful looks and Osamu and Suna smirking at him throughout dinner was more than enough to freak him out. He and Sakusa aren't <em>that</em> obvious, are they?</p><p>As far as Atsumu knows, he and Sakusa have been acting the same in front of others, only choosing to engage in more intimate acts when they're alone.</p><p>“I see that ya finally got yer shit together,” Osamu says, suddenly appearing beside Atsumu in the narrow hallway as he’s walking to the bathroom. “Took ya long enough, Tsumu.”</p><p>“Not long enough,” Suna grumbles from behind them.</p><p>A bulb lights up in Atsumu’s head and he scowls at them. “Ya bastards made a bet on when I’d get together with Omi-kun and Samu won?”</p><p>“Hell yeah I did. We’re twins, after all, so naturally I know ya best.”</p><p>“How much did ya bet?”</p><p>“50 dollars,” Osamu and Suna answer simultaneously.</p><p>“Since yer 50 dollars richer now ‘cause of me, the least ya could do is buy me a meal,” Atsumu says, never one to miss an opportunity.</p><p>“Hah. I ain’t a dumbass. I know ya an’ Aran made a bet on when I’d get together with Suna back when we were in high school an’ ya won it, so where’s <em>my</em> meal Tsumu?”</p><p>“Who, me? I’d <em>never</em> do somethin’ like that to my own brother.” Atsumu feigns ignorance because apart from Aran, at the time, no one else knew that Osamu had feelings for Suna. And he knows that Aran wouldn’t have betrayed him over some lunch money.</p><p>Osamu rolls his eyes and laughs lightly. “Then, fair is fair. Ya didn’t buy me a meal so I’m not gonna buy ya one too.”</p><p>Atsumu’s aware that they’re both being really immature right now but sometimes they just can’t help it. Being around each other is like activating the dumb and dumber switch and they’re reduced to a squabbling pair.</p><p>“Fine. I wasn’t bein’ serious anyway, I can buy my own meal,” Atsumu says petulantly.</p><p>“Sure, Tsumu. No one’s stoppin’ ya.”</p><p>Atsumu wants to get the last word in but he also doesn’t want to continue this conversation that’s killing off his brain cells.</p><p>In the end, Suna pulls Osamu away and they go back to the living room together, where Sakusa has been sitting by himself and listening to the conversation that carried over due to the short distance from where they were standing from the living room. Sakusa hides an amused smile and Suna gives him a bashful smile when he catches his eye, both silently agreeing not to talk about it.</p><hr/><p>The last day of the year is full of excitement as people gear up to welcome the new year with vigour. When the sun dips below the horizon, the four of them set out to meet their friends in the city to celebrate the new year how any young adult would: with lots of alcohol and wild shenanigans.</p><p>As one would reasonably expect, every entertainment center imaginable in the city is packed and the streets are crowded with people eager to let loose as they look forward to a new beginning. In previous years, Atsumu had spent new year’s eve with his high school friends that he still kept in touch with. But this year is a little different because all his different friend groups are getting together, making things more chaotic than usual.</p><p>Especially with the addition of highly enthusiastic individuals such as Hinata and Bokuto.</p><p>To be safe, they had booked a private room large enough to fit all of them and still have extra room for breathing. The alcohol is free flowing and they take advantage of this, immediately coming up with a dozen different drinking games.</p><p>Usually, Atsumu would have no qualms drinking as much as his poor liver could take but with Sakusa around, he’s less inclined to lose his inhibitions because although he’s sure that Sakusa can take care of himself, he doesn’t want to abandon Sakusa. He also doesn’t want to do anything embarrassing and not remember a trace of it when he wakes up the next morning.</p><p>So Atsumu only participates in less than half of the drinking games, slowly sipping his alcohol and keeping an eye on Sakusa who’s listening to a conversation between Hinata and Aran, both of whom seem on the verge of being drunk.</p><p>They’ve been here for a couple of hours and there’s only another half an hour before they ring in the new year and most of the people there are somehow still standing, holding themselves up and refusing to go down until they’ve partied the night away.</p><p>At this time, Atsumu and Sakusa are sitting in a circle with some of their friends, playing a much loved and dreaded school game called truth or dare. Atsumu doesn’t remember the last time he played this and it seems almost absurd for people their age to be playing this game but with many of them still half sober, they’re using this game to obtain “blackmail” material. Phones out with their cameras ready, everyone tries their best to embarrass the person staring down the mouth of the bottle.</p><p>So far, Atsumu had been chosen by the bottle twice and both times he had chosen to tell a truth, earning disappointed sounds from around him.</p><p>“Okay. New rule guys: you can’t choose truth or dare twice in a row. This means if this round you choose truth, then the next time you’re chosen you have to do a dare.”</p><p><em>Bastard</em>.</p><p>Atsumu honestly wants to quit the game as soon as this new rule is established because if he’s forced to do something embarrassing, he would rather be pissed drunk so that he could blame it on the alcohol and blissfully wake up with an empty head in the morning.</p><p>He’s really starting to regret not drinking more and he wonders if it’s too late to start now because he’s way too sober for this shit.</p><p>For the next few rounds, the bottle doesn’t point at his direction and the dares thrown out by his friends get more and more embarrassing, everyone laughing loudly at the person doing the dare. No one is spared in this game.</p><p>“Alright! This is the last round before the countdown.”</p><p>“Who’s gonna be the lucky bastard?” Laughs and jeers accompany the motion of the spinning bottle.</p><p>Being lulled into a sense of security during the past few rounds, Atsumu suddenly straightens his back and feels a sense of foreboding and instinctively, he glances at Sakusa beside him. Sakusa looks as calm as ever and Atsumu recalls that Sakusa hasn’t been chosen once at all since this game began.</p><p>As luck would have it, the bottle gradually loses speed and stops, pointing resolutely at Sakusa.</p><p>Atsumu feels his heart drop and as if he has the ability to communicate telepathically with Sakusa, he practically screams at him to choose truth instead of dare. Unfortunately, Sakusa doesn’t receive the urgent message and when asked to choose between truth or dare, he says, “Dare.”</p><p>Atsumu doesn’t know whether he should laugh or cry. Clearly, no one else expected Sakusa to be so daring as well and they look at each other rather uneasily because they’re all aware of Sakusa’s disposition towards hygiene so obviously they need to be mindful with what they tell him to do.</p><p>All of a sudden, a familiar voice says, “Sakusa, I dare you kiss Atsumu.”</p><p><em>Samu, ya fuckin’ bastard!</em> Atsumu grits his teeth and barely holds himself back from lunging at Osamu and throttling him.</p><p>All eyes land on Osamu’s innocent expression before settling on Sakusa. To anyone else, Sakusa looks expressionless but to Atsumu who has learned the subtleties of the man beside him, Sakusa looks mildly amused. Atsumu instantly relaxes his fists but he maintains the glare at his twin, sharp enough to cut.</p><p>Although he knows that Sakusa isn’t opposed to kissing him, he still voices his objection because they’re not used to being affectionate in public. “Omi-kun, ya don’t have to..”</p><p>Before he can finish his sentence, Sakusa interrupts by saying, “Okay.”</p><p>Atsumu is struck dumb and he’s sure that everyone around him feels the same way. He doesn’t have any more time to think when a warm palm rests on the back of his neck and he’s being pulled towards Sakusa.</p><p>In the moment before Sakusa kisses him, Atsumu sees a small smile on his face as if saying, “Don’t worry, just trust me,” and a smile naturally blooms on his own face. Everyone else fades away and the only person in their eyes is each other.</p><p>Atsumu intuitively shuts his eyes when Sakusa kisses him and doesn’t hesitate in the kiss, but it ends much too soon and normally, Atsumu would chase Sakusa’s lips but his other senses come back to him and his ears are bombarded by loud cheers and applause.</p><p>He freezes and feels himself heating up, wishing for a hole to swallow him into the earth. It seems that his friends are more perceptive than he thought they were and this single kiss basically confirms Atsumu and Sakusa’s relationship with each other.</p><p>Atsumu had wanted to tell his family and close friends when the time was right but since that plan has been blown out of the water, he thinks that them finding out this way isn’t so bad either. Atsumu looks at Sakusa who only shrugs at him but has a pleased look on his face and Atsumu can’t resist but ask, “Yer okay with this?”</p><p>“I’m more than okay with it.”</p><p>“One minute left!” Bokuto yells out.</p><p>Atsumu pulls Sakusa close to him and the others around them start to disperse, crowding towards the wall made of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the fireworks display that takes place annually.</p><p>Atsumu and Sakusa grab their drinks and linger behind the group of their friends, not particularly caring about the fireworks but not wanting to miss out as well. Now that their relationship is out in the open, they’re free to do whatever they want with each other and not attract any questions about it.</p><p>“30 seconds left!”</p><p>Atsumu puts down his drink after taking a sip and Sakusa does the same. Atsumu feels a warmth climbing up his body and with a clear mind, he says, “Omi-kun, I’m really happy that I got to know ya. I’m so happy that we get to end the year together.”</p><p>“Me too, and I’m so glad that we’re starting a new year together.”</p><p>10.. 9.. 8..</p><p>“I really like ya, Omi-kun.” The light reflected in Sakusa’s eyes dances and changes into a conviction that makes Atsumu’s breath hitch in his throat, and he feels an overwhelming urge to do <em>something</em>.</p><p>5.. 4.. 3..</p><p>“I really like you too, Atsumu.”</p><p>In time with the fireworks lighting up the sky, the vibrating heart in Atsumu’s chest bursts into a supernova, so bright and powerful that it spurs him into action. He captures Sakusa’s lips and they share a sweet and honest kiss, one that contains all the things they feel but don’t dare to say.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On the first day of the new year, Atsumu and Sakusa spend half of it sleeping and lazing around in bed. Early this morning, they had gone back to Sakusa’s condominium unit just because it was two doors closer than Atsumu’s. When they came up to the city for the new year celebrations, Sakusa had brought along his luggage back because his parents have returned from their vacation and it’s tradition for families to spend the new year together.</p><p>“See ya in a couple of days,” Atsumu says as Sakusa manages to catch a taxi to his childhood home.</p><p>“Yeah, see you. Tell everyone that I wished them a happy new year.”</p><p>“‘Kay, Omi-kun.” Atsumu gives Sakusa a short kiss goodbye.</p><p>Atsumu and Sakusa part ways, with Atsumu going back to his hometown and Sakusa meeting up with his parents and extended family because the new year is a time where many families get to reunite.</p><p>When Atsumu was younger, he and his volleyball team would always get together to visit a temple to pray for all sorts of things such as good luck in winning the high school championships and each of them would check their fortune for the rest of the year. </p><p>When all of them were kids, their parents would drag them to the temple to ask for blessings from the deities and now that they’re older, this practice hasn’t changed much. The large temple near the Miya household is flooded with families and the old and young coming together to pray for another good and prosperous year.</p><p>The morning is cold but with all the warm bodies converging in one area, the atmosphere is jubilant and lively. Familiar faces greet and wish each other a happy new year and old friends that haven’t been able to see each other due to work enthusiastically ask the other if they’ve been doing well.</p><p>After going through certain traditions that require him to pray with his family, Atsumu’s parents leave him and Osamu to their own devices. Atsumu and his high school friends have agreed to meet each other in front of one of the temples that allows them to determine the level of their luck for the year.</p><p>Although they’re all adults now and can rationally believe that they’re the ones that are mostly responsible for their own lives, if something extremely good happens then it can be attributed to their good luck but if something horrible happens then it can be blamed on their rotten luck.</p><p>“You look like shit, dude,” Aran mentions to Atsumu.</p><p>“Speak for yerself. How much did ya even drink last night?” For the first time, it’s Atsumu’s turn to shake his head in mild disappointment at Aran.</p><p>Aran groans lightly and looks a little queasy, like he’s recalling the memory of something disgusting. “Honestly? I don’t know. The last thing I remember is Inunaki and Bokuto pouring shots after shots down my throat and I think I blacked out after that.”</p><p>“Yikes.”</p><p>Aran nods sullenly and rubs the side of his face. “Yeah. I puked my guts out this morning and now, the mere thought of alcohol makes me sick.”</p><p>“Been there, done that. It gets better an’ eventually you’ll forget that ya even promised yerself to stay away from drinkin’. Ya had fun though, right?”</p><p>“Yeah, but I think I’m getting too old for this hardcore shit.” This makes Atsumu laugh.</p><p>"Puking is an alcohol deterrent like no other," Suna remarks wryly.</p><p>"You can say that again. It sure as hell beats a hangover in my books," Aran agrees.</p><p>Atsumu’s residual anger spikes up whenever he looks at Osamu for that dirty trick last night and if asked, he would never admit to giving his twin a well-deserved punch on the arm while Suna and Aran turned a blind eye.</p><p>“Fuckin’ asshole. Who said ya could out someone else’s relationship? Yer so lucky that Omi-kun was fine with yer stupid idea, otherwise I woulda socked ya right there an’ then.”</p><p>“Alright, I admit it was done in poor taste so I’m sorry ‘bout that but I did what I did with good intentions.” Osamu rubs his arm through his thick jacket.</p><p>“What kinda dumbass excuse is that?”</p><p>Seeing how no one’s coming to his rescue, Osamu concedes and hangs his head low in shame. “I’ll take anythin’ ya dish out ‘cause I deserve it.”</p><p>Atsumu proceeds to sling insults at his brother until he’s satisfied and Osamu obediently takes hit after verbal hit.</p><p>“Ya done?” Osamu dares to ask after Atsumu finally takes a pause to breathe.</p><p>“Not yet.”</p><p>Atsumu continues for a while until he’s sure that he’s voiced all his grievances. “I’m done now.”</p><p>“So, we good?”</p><p>“Yeah, sure.”</p><p>Atsumu’s glad that he and Osamu aren’t the type to hold grudges against each other and any dispute they have can be easily solved either through verbal or physical fights; usually it requires a combination of both and they’ll go back to being fine with each other again.</p><p>When he tries his luck, Atsumu discovers that he’ll have Great Luck for the year and he starts to feel optimistic about what’s to come for another promising year.</p><p>::</p><p>The MSBY Black Jackals have only a day left until their break ends and since everyone’s already back from their hometowns, Hinata suggests that a group of them visit a temple to pray for the team members’ good health and the team’s success this year. It’s a simple affair and they get it done quickly, feeling more assured with themselves knowing that there are divine powers looking over them.</p><p>The team continues the season with renewed energy and spirits, winning themselves match after match with their eyes locked on the prize.</p><p>In between matches and practice, Atsumu and Sakusa bounce between staying at either one of their houses, sleeping and waking up beside each other, cooking and eating meals together. Some days they need space to do their own things but because they’re in the same team and have the same schedules, they still end up spending a bulk of their time together.</p><p>Atsumu has never spent so much time with one person before because he has always been too busy focusing on work and most of his friendships consist of sporadic messages in the group chat and even rarer chances to meet up with his friends.</p><p>He initially thought that he would go back to his old ways of coming up with all sorts of excuses just to get out of hanging out with his partner but that’s the last thing that he ever thinks about when he’s with Sakusa.</p><p>Atsumu really likes being with Sakusa because it’s so <em>easy</em>. Maybe it’s because they’re still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship but apart from their usual bickering, Atsumu just feels content being in Sakusa’s presence and he really likes how Sakusa is always just a little softer around the edges when it’s just the two of them.</p><p>Valentine’s day approaches and for once, Atsumu isn’t spending it alone, not that he was particularly bothered by it the previous years. But it feels nice knowing that there is someone who he wants to treat and this person also wants to spend the day with him. Even if they both wind up having another ordinary day, at least they’re spending it together.</p><p>“Do you guys have any plans for today?” Hinata casually asks as they walk home from practice in a group.</p><p>“What’s so special about today?” Bokuto looks puzzled.</p><p>“It’s Valentine’s day, Bokkun. Don’t ya have anythin’ planned with Akaashi-kun?”</p><p>Bokuto's expression clears and he lights up like a kid that just got told that Christmas came early. “Oh, that’s today? I think I planned something. Wait.” Bokuto stops walking to check something on his phone and when Atsumu peeks over, he sees that it’s a calendar.</p><p>Pointing at his screen, Bokuto says, “Yep, here it is! ‘Kaashi and I are going to our second-favourite place to eat tonight.”</p><p>“Why second-favourite? Do you have a lot of favourite places to eat or something like that?” Sakusa asks out of curiosity.</p><p>“Kinda? At first, we each had our own favourite places to eat and we started to introduce these places to each other while we were dating and some of these places have become both of our favourites, so we decided to rank them accordingly. And we’re going to our second-favourite place tonight because the top 1 favourite place is reserved for special occasions like our birthdays. Oh, and we also have a place we go to every anniversary.”</p><p>“Wah! That’s such a great concept! I need to tell Kageyama about this because we always spend too much time deciding on where and what to eat, which sometimes results in us eating plain ol’ instant noodles for dinner.”</p><p>“Pfft,” Atsumu can’t help laughing because Hinata and Kageyama can be so chaotic sometimes that they’re unintentionally funny.</p><p>“So are you guys doing anything special tonight?” Hinata directs his question to Atsumu and Sakusa.</p><p>Atsumu and Sakusa share a look and shrug. “We don’t know yet.”</p><p>Atsumu has stayed over so frequently now that he even has his own drawer to put his clothes in Sakusa’s wardrobe, not that Sakusa had many clothes to begin with so it’s no surprise that he had a spare drawer.</p><p>Atsumu also got lazy to keep shuffling his toiletries from one place to another, so he got a duplicate set of everything which is currently taking up space in Sakusa’s shower as well. Even so, he still sometimes uses Sakusa’s body wash because the smell reminds Atsumu of his boyfriend.</p><p>As the setting sun stains the sky an array of reds and oranges, Atsumu and Sakusa agree on staying in and treating this day just like any other.</p><p>“Every day I spend with ya is a special day, Omi-kun.”</p><p>“..Stop. That’s way too corny, even for you.”</p><p>After a deliciously cooked meal, they move on to the plush sofa and continue watching a new drama that they started a few days ago. As their food digests, they gradually move from an upright sitting position into one where Sakusa basically has half his body lying on Atsumu.</p><p>“Are ya comfortable, Omi-kun?” Atsumu adjusts his hold on Sakusa so that Sakusa’s head rests more on his chest rather than his shoulder.</p><p>“Mm, thanks.” Sakusa cuddles closer to Atsumu, treating him like his personal heater.</p><p>Atsumu doesn’t mind it at all and he presses a chaste kiss on the top of Sakusa’s head, smiling and feeling as if there’s no place he’d rather be.</p><p>When the credits start rolling, Atsumu realises that Sakusa has fallen asleep on him and he stares at Sakusa with a tender feeling rising up in his chest.</p><p>
  <em>He’s so beautiful. I can’t believe he’s mine.</em>
</p><p>Then he gently jostles Sakusa awake so they can both get ready for bed. “Baby, wake up.”</p><p>Sakusa slowly opens his eyes. “I fell asleep again?” He sounds apologetic and Atsumu is quick to reassure him that it’s okay and that they’ll rewatch the episode that Sakusa missed.</p><p>“Or we can just watch a different show. Maybe ya keep fallin’ asleep ‘cause the show’s boring.”</p><p>“Sure, let’s just do that instead.”</p><p>Sakusa’s queen sized bed is large enough for both of them to sleep comfortably together and while they usually start out sleeping innocently beside each other, as the night grows longer, their bodies instinctively seek each other out in the dark like two opposite magnets facing each other.</p><p>This means that they normally wake up with at least one part of their bodies in contact with the other, even if it’s as simple as their hands touching on the cool sheets.</p><hr/><p>Like a bullet aimed at its target, the MSBY Black Jackals defeat all their opponents to qualify as one of the top teams of the season and they advance to the stage before the semi-finals. </p><p>Coach Foster increases the intensity of their practices and training sessions and emphasises on the importance of taking care of their bodies to avoid getting any injuries.</p><p>“Listen up, guys. The next few weeks are crucial in order for us to advance to the semi-finals, so keep up the good work and we’re likely to make it through all the way to the final round,” Coach Foster tells the team, optimism clear in his voice.</p><p>The team also feels the same way, especially because they won the championship last season so they’re eager to win it once more.</p><p>Atsumu’s initial seed of doubt in his skills and abilities has long been destroyed and he feels nothing but confidence not only in himself but also in his teammates before, during and after every game.</p><p>There is no room for regrets if they want to win the entire thing.</p><p>Upon arriving in front of their condominium building and discussing what to have for dinner, Bokuto suggests, “Hey, I know! We should eat at Miya Onigiri.”</p><p>“Oh, right! It’s been a while since we’ve been there, right?” Hinata looks at Bokuto like he’s a genius.</p><p>“Yeah. I guess I’m fine eatin’ there. What ‘bout ya, Omi-kun?”</p><p>Sakusa nods and says, “Let’s go, then.”</p><p>The four of them walk under the darkening sky and arrive at Miya Onigiri in no time at all. All the tables are occupied so they’re forced to wait until a table becomes available, which usually doesn’t take long.</p><p>However, they’re recognised by some fans while waiting and they receive compliments on their latest matches.</p><p>The praise boosts their spirits higher.</p><p>Once seated at a table, Suna comes over to greet them and take their orders, and they order more than enough food to fill their appetites. As usual, Suna tells Sakusa that he’ll have to wait a little longer for his food to arrive because Osamu will be preparing them specially for him.</p><p>“If we make it to the final match, who do ya think we’ll be up against?” Atsumu asks after he sanitises his hands.</p><p>He squirts some sanitiser onto Sakusa’s palms and offers the bottle to Hinata and Bokuto who take it wordlessly.</p><p>“Hmm, it’s hard to say. Maybe it’ll be the Adlers again,” Bokuto answers.</p><p>Atsumu suddenly asks, “Shou-chan, how was it playin’ against Kageyama-kun last season?”</p><p>Hinata laughs, his eyes bright. “Really fun! You probably don’t know this but when I was in junior high, our school lost against Kageyama’s and I swore to myself that I would defeat him one day. Who knew that we would end up being in Karasuno High together? Since I couldn’t beat him at the time, I thought that I might as well team up with him and we turned out to be a great duo, if I may say so.”</p><p>“You were incredible! I remember seeing your super quick set and being really impressed!” Bokuto interjects.</p><p>“Right, ya were monsters, Shou-chan.”</p><p>“No, no. I thought you guys were the ones who were monsters. I remember being really frustrated but also motivated by you, and I wanted to be on the same level as you guys.”</p><p>“Well, we’re all here now, aren’t we?”</p><p>“Yeah, Omi-san. Anyway, Kageyama and I have always been competing against each other whether directly or indirectly and last season was a great opportunity for the both of us to finally determine who was better than the other. </p><p>"So even though we’re in a relationship, if we’re on the court, then none of that matters because we both know that what happens on the court stays on the court.”</p><p>“Wow. That’s kinda cool, actually. D’ya miss playin’ on the same team as Kageyama-kun though?”</p><p>“Not really. Even though we make a great duo, it’s better for us to play for different teams so that we’re able to grow and improve our skills more comprehensively, I guess."</p><p>They continue chatting while they eat and it has become second nature for Atsumu to gravitate towards Sakusa when they walk home.</p><p>The night is chilly and Atsumu didn't put on his gloves before coming out of Miya Onigiri so to protect his hands from the cold, the next best thing he does is to stuff them in the pockets of Sakusa's coat.</p><p>"What are you doing?" Sakusa turns his head to the side and meets Atsumu’s cheeky grin.</p><p>“Just keepin’ my hands warm. Ya wouldn’t want me to freeze, would ya Omi-kun?”</p><p>“Can’t we just hold hands like normal people?”</p><p>“No,” Atsumu says stubbornly.</p><p>Sakusa sighs but doesn’t say anything further. They make a rather funny sight; two grown men slightly waddling in the street because one of them has his hands in the other’s pockets, with the curly-haired one having an exasperated but fond expression as the blonde-haired one behind him chatters away happily.</p><p>As the distance to their condominium building decreases, so does the small gap between Sakusa’s back and Atsumu’s front. At this point, Atsumu’s basically giving Sakusa a back hug, making it difficult for them to continue walking. Hinata and Bokuto’s figures can no longer be seen ahead of them.</p><p>They stop in between two street lamps. “Atsumu, c’mon. It’s cold and I wanna get home soon.”</p><p>Atsumu’s arms squeeze around him and he feels Atsumu’s breath on the shell of his ear. “Omi-kun, kiss me?”</p><p>“You mean-- right now? Here?”</p><p>They’ve never been overly affectionate in public, with hand holding being the furthest they’ll go in terms of physical intimacy outside of their homes and with strangers around them -- besides that one time they got drunk and made out in front of their friends.</p><p>When Sakusa hesitates, Atsumu says, “Please, Omi-kun? I just wanna kiss ya right now.”</p><p>Sakusa’s reluctance melts away like the last snow before spring and he turns around to face Atsumu. “If I kiss you, then can we go home after?”</p><p>Atsumu nods, the light illuminating his expectant expression, already moving his face towards Sakusa. The kiss is cold and lasts longer than the quick kiss that Sakusa was aiming for.</p><p>“Happy?” Sakusa asks once he pulls away, his lips red and moist.</p><p>“Very.” Atsumu smiles and gives him one last peck on his lips before they resume walking home hand in hand.</p><hr/><p>The countdown to Sakusa’s birthday commences and this time, Atsumu’s planning something for him. Well, actually the first thing he does is ask Sakusa whether it’s okay for him to plan a small birthday party for him because he doesn’t want to make Sakusa feel uncomfortable. </p><p>Luckily, Sakusa tells him that it’s fine and that they can just go to the restaurant that the MSBY members usually go to celebrate birthdays.</p><p>Atsumu’s not very good at planning parties or events but he tries his best. On the surface of things, there’s the normal party that all MSBY members would attend but other than that, Atsumu’s planning something special just for Sakusa.</p><p>Coincidentally, Sakusa’s birthday falls a few days before the semi-finals and with the announcement that MSBY will continue to compete for the championship, they’re all naturally in good spirits and ready to have another reason to celebrate.</p><p>The first thing Atsumu does on the morning of Sakusa’s birthday -- after brushing his teeth -- is to give Sakusa a kiss.</p><p>“Happy birthday, Omi-kun.” Atsumu says breathlessly, one arm around Sakusa and the other cupping Sakusa’s jaw.</p><p>Sakusa’s lips are red and slightly swollen but there’s the obvious curve of a smile, his eyes soft in the morning light filtering through the blinds in Sakusa’s bedroom. It makes Atsumu’s heart stutter.</p><p>“Thank you.” With a flip, Sakusa hovers above Atsumu on the bed and he ducks his head, warm lips landing on Atsumu’s neck. Atsumu sighs and cards his hand through the soft strands of Sakusa’s hair, making it messier while Sakusa continues kissing and licking down his neck and body.</p><p>“W-wait. Shouldn’t I be doing this to ya, since it’s yer birthday?” Atsumu’s face is flushed and when Sakusa lifts his gaze dark with lust, Atsumu’s throat goes dry.</p><p>“Since it’s my birthday, don’t I get to unwrap my birthday gift, Atsumu?” Sakusa’s voice is low and with their eyes locked on each other, Sakusa leaves an open mouthed kiss on the head of Atsumu’s cock. Atsumu whimpers and loses his train of thought, leaving his body in Sakusa’s very capable mouth and hands.</p><p>They have practice in an hour or so, but they stay in bed until the very last moment and barely make it to practice on time.</p><p>The rest of the team wishes Sakusa a happy birthday when they see him and he accepts all their well wishes graciously. Sakusa even lets Hinata and Bokuto give him a quick hug and a fist bump respectively. Coach Foster lets their practice end a little earlier than usual so they can all make it to their early dinner reservation.</p><p>Dinner is a joyous event, a cacophony of laughter and cheers all around them as an array of food and drink are served before them. Meian’s advice to drink reasonably and moderately falls on deaf ears as Inunaki ropes the team into his bad habits.</p><p>“Happy birthday, Kiyoomi-kun!” Inunaki places a shot glass filled to the brim in front of Sakusa and holds one himself.</p><p>“Cheers!” They clink glasses once before downing the shot together.</p><p>Immediately, Inunaki refills Sakusa’s glass and motions for all of them to raise their glasses for Sakusa. “Happy birthday!” rings out before the shot glasses are being slammed onto the table.</p><p>As a result, dinner ends much too soon but Atsumu doesn’t complain because it means that he’ll have more time with Sakusa all to himself.</p><p>Atsumu pulls Sakusa to his side as they wait for a taxi outside the restaurant, arms intertwined. "Omi-kun, are ya up for an adventure?"</p><p>"Hm? What kind of adventure?" Sakusa's clear gaze turns suspicious.</p><p>"It's a surprise," is all Atsumu says.</p><p>"I don't really like surprises though."</p><p>"It's a good surprise. Please, Omi-omi?"</p><p>"..Sure, why the hell not."</p><p>Atsumu keeps mum during the taxi ride, only giving Sakusa vague answers that don't answer any questions. Despite this, Sakusa doesn't seem frustrated although Atsumu can tell that he's a little irritated by the uncertainty of the situation.</p><p>Atsumu grabs one of Sakusa’s hand and his thumb rubs over the back of his hand in a comforting gesture. “Ya trust me, right Omi-omi?”</p><p>“Yeah, I do.”</p><p>The drive takes them up a steep incline and stops in front of a tall building with a dome rooftop.</p><p>Atsumu helps Sakusa out of the taxi and for a short while, the silence between them is accompanied by the sounds of their soft breathing.</p><p>“What are we doing at an observatory? Is it even open at this hour?” Sakusa looks puzzled and Atsumu can’t help but let a small grin break on his face.</p><p>“It’s part of yer birthday present! Come on, Omi-kun.” Together, they climb the stairs leading up to a set of wooden double doors that open once Atsumu knocks it a couple of times. Sakusa has no idea what to expect.</p><p>A middle-aged man comes out to greet them with a friendly smile and he brings them up all the way to the observatory deck. It’s large and the dome is open with a huge telescope pointing out of it into the vast sky.</p><p>After explaining some things that Sakusa doesn’t have the mind to understand but which Atsumu seems to have been listening intently to, the man leaves them both alone.</p><p>Sakusa turns to Atsumu. “What’s going on, Atsumu?”</p><p>“I named a star after ya an’ we’re here to look at it.”</p><p>For once, Sakusa is rendered speechless and Atsumu is so delighted by this that he can’t stop the laugh that tumbles out of his mouth. </p><p>“Here, c’mon Omi-kun.” Atsumu drags him over to the telescope, explaining, “They were kind enough to point the telescope in the general direction of where yer star is located so we shouldn’t need to touch anythin’.”</p><p>“Is this legit?” Sakusa still can’t wrap his head around the situation.</p><p>“Yeah, ‘course it is.” Atsumu looks proud of himself.</p><p>The telescope definitely is quite daunting and hesitantly, Sakusa looks through the eyepiece. An entire galaxy enters his vision and he gasps softly.</p><p>Stars, hundreds of them shining brilliantly amidst gaseous clouds in a river of darkness. Sakusa feels himself being pulled into the celestial image, wandering through the bright lights in the sky that seem almost alive; as if a light was being refracted through a kaleidoscope or colourful jewels.</p><p>“This is..” Sakusa feels overwhelmed by the feeling of his insignificance in the world.</p><p>“How is it, Omi-kun?” The voice is like a gentle breeze that wraps itself around his heart.</p><p>Sakusa manages to come back to earth and he turns to look at Atsumu who’s gazing at him with a tender expression; one that makes him understand that despite his seeming insignificance in this astronomical world, Sakusa is someone significant to Atsumu.</p><p>He is someone who Atsumu thinks the world of.</p><p>With the words pressing against his chest and the truth of his feelings leaving him light enough to fly, Sakusa thinks <em>Oh. Of course it’s you.</em></p><p>“I love you, Atsumu.”</p><p>Atsumu’s expression freezes before a smile brighter than all the stars combined emerges, blinding and unstoppable. “I love ya too, Omi-kun.”</p><p>Sakusa’s hands grab Atsumu’s face and soft and warm lips meet, making way for a kiss that conveys all the things they’re no longer afraid to feel. Atsumu slips his tongue into Sakusa’s warm mouth, drawing a quiet moan out. Under the celestial sky, they lay down the bare honesty of their love for each other.</p><hr/><p>The MSBY Black Jackals become the undisputed winner of the v.league season for the second year in the row, beating EJP Raijin for the title of the champion.</p><p>Under the glaring lights, multiple cameras and all the spectators in the stadium, Atsumu links his hand with Sakusa’s and they share a smile that says <em>I’m glad that it’s you</em>.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>this is the end! thank you to everyone who read this and took the time to give me a kudos or write a comment. i appreciate every single one of you. this is not beta read bc we die like men HAHA</p>
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